The Chicago Bulls could not escape the inevitability of Jimmy Butler in the final seconds of Saturday’s 118-116 loss to the Miami Heat.
The Bulls overcame two double-digit deficits, surging back to regain a seven-point lead in the third quarter. But several critical mistakes in the final minute resulted in another loss.
The Heat grabbed four offensive rebounds in the final three minutes, scoring off three of them to tie the game. Then DeMar DeRozan — who finished with a team-high 27 points — turned the ball over with 34 seconds left after the Heat utilized a trap to force the ball out of his hands.
Butler hadn’t made waves in the fourth quarter, scoring only two points in the frame before the game-winner. But with the ball in his hand, the score tied and 12 seconds on the clock, Butler targeted Coby White, a matchup the Heat had been fervently attacking all night. The Bulls failed to spring a trap, leaving White to guard Butler on his own.
“It was a good learning experience in that situation, especially when they’re holding it for the last shot,” coach Billy Donovan said. “We’ve got to be able to just run and go trap him. Obviously it’s hard to get that into the guys at that moment in time. We’ve just got to be able to go do that there. (Butler) obviously got to his spot. We can certainly learn something in that.”
Butler settled into his role as if it were a routine: advance the ball across half court, invite the isolation play, step back, fire a shot and save the game as the buzzer sounds.
Here are six takeaways from the loss.
1. Coby White turned it up in the fourth quarter.
After a scorching seven-game streak of powering the Bulls with his 3-point shooting, White cooled off Saturday.
White did not score in the first half. He wasn’t making shots, but he also wasn’t taking them. He went 1-for-7 overall and 0-for-4 from 3-point range in the first three quarters.
White finally warmed up in the fourth, going 4-for-5 behind the arc to score 18 of his 22 points in the quarter. Despite the slow start, his four 3s extended his franchise-record streak of making three or more to 14 games.
2. Torrey Craig provided a lift off the bench before exiting with an injury.
With White and Nikola Vucevic quiet in the first half, Craig provided a much-needed boost off the bench. Craig went 4-for-5 from 3-point range and scored 16 points to lead the Bulls in scoring in the first half.
But the Bulls quickly lost that lift. Craig exited with a minute left in the half and did not return because of a foot injury. Without him, the Bulls were forced into extremely shortened rotations, relying on Dalen Terry to fill in at forward.
3. Patrick Williams had a strong shooting night.
With White’s scoring issues and Craig out of the game, Williams stepped up in another explosive offensive performance with 25 points.
Williams shot 4-for-5 from 3-point range and utilized his efficiency behind the arc to blow by closeouts and attack the rim. He was 8-for-10 from the field and 5-for-5 on free throws.
This was the third game in which Williams scored 20 or more points this season, tying his career high.
“It was his aggressiveness,” Donovan said. “Whether he makes shots or misses shots, it’s just the aggressiveness of it. We’ve just got to get him consistent in doing that, and he’s got to own that because when he does do that, he’s obviously a huge boost to our team.”
4. Turnovers and transition points provided the Heat an advantage.
Each time the Heat took a double-digit lead, they built their advantage off two key mistakes: turnovers and defensive lapses in transition.
The Bulls gave up five turnovers for eight points within the first eight minutes, allowing the Heat to build a 14-point lead. That deficit was quickly erased with strong 3-point shooting in the second quarter, allowing the Bulls to carve a 15-point deficit to a point by halftime.
But the Heat closed the third quarter with a 24-6 run due to the same two factors, scoring six points in the final minute of the quarter off turnovers. The Heat scored 10 points off turnovers — and five on the fast break — in the quarter. DeRozan’s turnover in the last minute added to the final tally of 15 turnovers for 24 points.
5. Kevin Love torched the Bulls from 3-point range in the first half.
Both teams let loose behind the arc, taking a combined 47 3-pointers in the first half. Love made his first five attempts and finished the half 5-for-7. Craig countered with four while Williams added three.
Donovan was frustrated by the Bulls’ early defense on Love. The coach used a timeout only 13 seconds into the second quarter after Love hit his fifth 3, taking advantage of a defensive mistake at the perimeter when Ayo Dosunmu and White mishandled a switch.
The teams cooled off in the second half. The Bulls did not make a 3-pointer in the third quarter, and the Heat did not connect in the fourth.
The Bulls finished 16-for-38 behind the arc after White found his shooting rhythm. The Heat finished 13-for-35.
6. Alex Caruso was sidelined with a foot injury.
After reinjuring his left foot less than five minutes into Thursday’s game in Miami, Caruso was sidelined Saturday for the sixth time this season, joining Zach LaVine on the bench.
Donovan said Caruso was “better off” Saturday than he was when he injured the foot in weeks prior, but Caruso is expected to need “a few days” to recover before he can return. Dosunmu started in Caruso’s place.
Most concerning for the Bulls is the fact Caruso continues to aggravate the injury. He has been missing games intermittently because of pain in his left toe and ankle since early November. If the injury continues to linger, Caruso could struggle to provide the consistency the Bulls need from him.