The long-awaited NBA playoffs are finally here, and for the teams currently leading the board, it could not have come any sooner. Basketball fans worldwide are also gearing up for the competition, with many already taking wagers on their favorite team via online sportsbooks.
This year’s playoff match-ups are sure to be thrilling, and fans are welcome to take full advantage of promos such as the BetMGM Massachusetts bonus code to bet on their favorite teams during playoff season. Will fan favorite Boston Celtics claim the title? Or will you cheer on Steph Curry and the Warriors?
Last Friday’s play-in game between the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat was the Eastern Conference’s last decider. And, unfortunately for the former, their playoff dreams will remain unfulfilled.
The Heat led the charge for most of the game with Jimmy Butler and Max Strus in the vanguard. Strus scored a team-high 31 points, this being just one point shy of his highest-scoring outing to date, and matched scores with his teammate, Butler.
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praised Strus’ performance Strus’ performance and his consistency after the big win that has seen them advance to the playoffs as the eighth-seeded team.
“He’s ignitable. Watch out. If he hits two or three, then it can turn into a night like this.”
The Heat are no strangers to the postseason, having made the playoffs 24 times in 35 years.
The team has won three championships and went all the way to the finals in 2020, also making it to the Eastern Conference finals last season.
Coach Spo also talked up their sheer determination.
“Our team has obviously not been perfect this year,” he admitted. “But I do know one thing about the men in that locker room: The last 48 hours, I know how categorically, unequivocally, how badly and desperately our group wanted to get into this damn thing – and get into the playoffs to have an opportunity to compete for a title.”
On the Bulls’ side of things, the loss served as a cruel end to the team’s aspirations for the season. They have yet to win a playoff game since 2015 and will sadly have to wait till next season to have another shot at a title.
Power forward DeMar DeRozan put in a valiant effort on the night, however, his 26 points, four rebounds, and nine assists were overshadowed by Strus’s long-distance shooting and Butler’s spectacular offense. Bulls coach Billy Donovan said as much in his post-game interview.
“They’re disappointed,” he lamented. “When you make that investment from September to the middle of April, that’s a lot of time. You reflect back a little bit. I think they’re all disappointed. We were getting better as a group, I think, since the All-Star break. It would have been nice if we found a way to win tonight and continue on to the playoffs, but it didn’t happen.”
According to Butler, though, Chicago didn’t seem to put up much of a fight. In the first quarter, the Heat were already leading by 14 points whilst Chicago was still finding their footing.
“I don’t think any of us felt any type of pressure,” Butler said. “We went out, we competed.”
The Heat held a 10-point lead in the third quarter, with the Bulls still struggling to advance. Towards the beginning of the final quarter, the Bulls had begun to fight back in earnest, leading by six points with a little over five minutes remaining in the game.
In mere minutes, Butler, with the help of Strus, tied the scores, consequently increasing the pressure during the final throes. Being in clutch game territory was no challenge for Miami, seeing as they’ve played a total of 54 such games during the regular season.
The Bulls seemed to take the upper hand, with Alec White scoring a three-pointer with about three minutes of play left. However, this only seemed to spur the Heat on as Chicago was only allowed one more point for the remainder of the game. Where the Heat excelled is where the Bulls seemed to falter. Miami went on to score 15 more points, securing the victory and their place in the playoffs.
The Heat went on to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round series against Milwaukee, but it came at the cost of losing Tyler Herro, who broke his hand during the first half and will be out for several weeks.
The Bucks have since evened things up at 1-1. Game three will be taking place this Saturday April 22 in Miami at 7:30pm EST.
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