The Chicago Bulls made a miraculous comeback against the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament. Down 19 at one point, they came storming back to win 109-105. They were led by Zach LaVine, who had 39 points, with 30 of those coming in the second half. DeMar DeRozan had 23 points and 7 rebounds, and guys like Patrick Beverley and Alex Caruso made some key winning plays down the stretch. They now look ahead to a matchup Friday with the Miami Heat, and a trip to the NBA Playoffs resting on the line. Predictions for the Bulls this season have not come easy, but there are a few that can be made based on Wednesday's performance against the Raptors.
Coming into this season, the Bulls were hoping to have the services of Lonzo Ball. Unfortunately, Ball still hasn't played in a game since January 14, 2022, and he will not be making an appearance as long as the Bulls remain in contention in the NBA Playoffs. Not having Ball had a serious impact, as Chicago underperformed on their way to a 40-42 regular season record. Fortunately for the Bulls, it was good enough to land them the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference and a spot in the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament. So far, they have taken advantage of the opportunity, and they look to keep the momentum going Friday against the Heat.
If the Bulls can play like they did in the second half against the Raptors, a win against the Heat is very possible. Given their most recent output, here are three bold predictions for the Chicago Bulls game in the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament against the Miami Heat.
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Zach LaVine drops 40 points for the Chicago Bulls
Zach LaVine proved that the Bulls go as he goes in their win against the Raptors. Going into halftime, the Bulls were down 58-47 and LaVine had a mediocre 9 points for his standards. Coming out of the locker room, LaVine understood that for the Bulls to have a chance, he would have to take over. Take over is what he did.
His 30 points in the second half elevated the Bulls to a win, and was par for the course for LaVine in regards to his numbers in the second half of the regular season. LaVine averaged 27.0 points, 4.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 22 games after the All-Star Game, numbers that Bulls fans expected to see when the season began. In order for the Bulls to win Friday against the Heat, LaVine is going to have to put up gaudy numbers once again.
LaVine will not only put up another 30-piece, but he will drop over 40 points against the Miami Heat. He is firing on all cylinders of his game right now, scoring at all three levels. Against the Raptors, he was pulling up in transition for 30-foot three pointers while also showing elite finesse finishing around the rim. The Bulls are going to be the first No. 10 seed to make it through the NBA Play-In Tournament and into the NBA Playoffs, and it will come on the back of a 40-point Zach LaVine performance.
Miami Heat's Kyle Lowry scores more than best friend DeMar DeRozan
The friendship between Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan has been well documented over the years. The two were teammates on the Toronto Raptors for six years, and both were open publicly about how hard it was when DeRozan was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 2018. Five years later, the two will be playing against each other for a spot in the NBA Playoffs.
Despite the mutual friendship, their performance this year was anything but equal. DeRozan had another stellar season as the 17th highest scorer in the NBA, while Lowry had his worst year since before he was even a Raptor. With that said, it would be expected that DeRozan would have a higher scoring output in Friday's matchup. However, Kyle Lowry is actually going to finish with a higher total.
First off, Zach LaVine established Wednesday that he is the primary option going forward. DeRozan is still going to get his fair share of opportunities, but the ball is going to find LaVine more often than not. Combine this with Lowry's performance against the Hawks, and Lowry scoring more just makes sense.
The Bulls are going to dial in on Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. This is what the Hawks did, and it worked. They allowed Lowry to score to the tune of 33 points, as limiting the Heat's main options helped them secure a victory. The Bulls will do the same, allowing Lowry to be a scorer while taking away the Heat's top choices. Lowry will end up scoring more points than DeRozan, but the Bulls will have a better chance to win.
Diar DeRozan sits behind hoop and screams at every Heat free throw
DeMar DeRozan's daughter went viral during the game against the Raptors for screaming at every free throw attempt that Toronto took. She was sitting behind the hoop, and her yelling could be heard over the national broadcast when the Raptors were at the line. The Raptors missed a season-high 18 free throws out of 36 attempts, so the evidence is pretty clear that DeRozan made a difference.
The Bulls are going to be smart and ensure that Diar DeRozan gets her seat behind the hoop against the Heat. Come postseason basketball, anything a team can do to gain a mental edge is understood. Having the daughter of a star player mess with the other team during their free throws is psychological warfare at its finest.
Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat is sure to be a good contest. The Bulls are going to use Diar DeRozan's dedication to her dad's team in forcing the Heat to adapt to a whole new level of competition.
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