Miami Heat Deliver Historic Beatdown, Crushing Bulls in 43-Point Rout

There are wins, there are statements, and then there is whatever happened Sunday night at the Kaseya Center.

The Miami Heat didn’t just defeat the Chicago Bulls; they dismantled them, piece by piece, in a 134-91 victory that felt decided before the first quarter buzzer even sounded. For a team that has navigated a rollercoaster season defined by injuries and inconsistency, Sunday offered a glimpse of what Miami looks like when the engine is firing on all cylinders.

Despite missing key rotational pieces—including Tyler Herro and newly minted All-Star Norman Powell—the Heat played with a level of connectivity and ferocity that Chicago simply couldn’t match.

Heat Offense Explodes Without All-Star Help

The narrative heading into tip-off was about who wasn’t on the floor. Just moments after the game began, news broke that Norman Powell had been selected as an NBA All-Star, a well-deserved nod for his stellar season. However, due to personal reasons, Powell wasn’t in the building to celebrate.

It didn’t matter. His teammates threw a celebration of their own on the hardwood.

Miami played unselfish, egalitarian basketball, racking up a staggering 43 assists on 54 made field goals. The ball didn’t stick; it pinged around the perimeter and found cutters in the lane with surgical precision. Bam Adebayo and Pelle Larsson led the charge, scoring 20 points apiece. Adebayo was his usual efficient self, adding nine rebounds and controlling the paint, while Larsson offered a spark that the Bulls’ perimeter defense failed to extinguish.

But the story wasn’t just the starters. The Heat got significant contributions from everywhere. Kel’el Ware came off the bench to drop 17 points, showing a soft touch around the rim, while Andrew Wiggins and Jaime Jaquez Jr. chipped in 14 each. It was a complete team effort that saw Miami shoot over 50% from the field while holding Chicago to a dismal 32.2%.

A First Quarter That Set the Tone

If you blinked, you might have missed the competitive portion of this basketball game. The Heat stormed out of the gates, suffocating the Bulls’ offense and turning defense into easy offense.

By the end of the first quarter, Miami held a commanding 34-13 lead. They didn’t let up. The lead ballooned to 20 by halftime and continued to grow, eventually reaching 54 points in the second half. According to ESPN stats, that 54-point margin marked the Heat’s second-largest lead in the play-by-play era (dating back to 1996).

For Chicago, it was a night to forget. This was their largest deficit since 2018, a sobering reality check for a team trying to find its footing in the Central Division.

Bulls Stumble Without Key Playmakers

It’s fair to note that Chicago wasn’t playing with a full deck either. Josh Giddey sat out with a tight hamstring, and his absence was felt deeply in the Bulls’ inability to organize their offense. Without a primary facilitator, Chicago looked disjointed.

Coby White tried to stop the bleeding, leading the Bulls with 16 points, but he struggled to find his range, going 0-for-6 from deep. Nikola Vucevic added 12 points, but the Bulls’ shooting woes were contagious. As a team, they shot a frigid 14.6% from three-point land (6-of-41). You simply cannot win in the modern NBA shooting like that, especially against a Heat defense that was flying around the court with playoff-level intensity.

The frustration was palpable on the Chicago bench. Every time they tried to mount a mini-run, Miami answered with a three, a dunk, or a steal, demoralizing the visitors at every turn.

A Night of Firsts and Future Implications

In the midst of the blowout, there was a genuinely heartwarming moment for the Miami faithful. Vlad Goldin, checking into the game during the fourth quarter “garbage time,” scored his first career NBA points. The bench erupted—a sign of a team with strong chemistry despite the fluctuating lineups.

This win wraps up the regular-season series between the two squads, with the Heat taking two out of three. More importantly, it pushes Miami’s record to 27-24, keeping them firmly in the mix in the Southeast Division.

For the Bulls, now 24-26, it’s back to the drawing board. They have to shake off the embarrassment of a 43-point loss and figure out how to generate offense when their shots aren’t falling.

For Miami, Sunday was proof of concept. When they share the ball and lock in defensively, they can run anyone out of the gym—even without their All-Stars.