Miami Heat Crush Bulls 143-107 in Strong NBA Cup Performance

The Miami Heat produced one of their strongest performances of the season as they defeated the Chicago Bulls 143-107 in Chicago on Friday. The victory helped Miami move to 2-1 in East Group C of the NBA Cup, keeping them close to the Milwaukee Bucks, who currently lead the group at 2-0. The Bulls, meanwhile, dropped to 1-2 in their Cup campaign and continued their struggle in recent games.

Kel'el Ware played a major role in Miami’s victory with a standout performance. He scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, giving him an impressive double-double. His energy, inside presence, and finishing ability helped the Heat control the game early and maintain a strong lead throughout. Ware was efficient on both ends and scored 12 points in the first half alone, going 5-for-9 from the field.

Norman Powell also made a big impact for Miami. Although he left the game briefly due to a groin strain in the first quarter, he returned quickly and finished the half with 15 points. Powell ended the game with 19 points overall. His shooting and aggressive drives helped the Heat build momentum, especially during an important scoring run in the second quarter. Miami’s offense looked fast and confident with Powell leading from the perimeter.

Miami’s overall team play was a key factor in their comfortable win. The Heat led by as many as 41 points during the game. Their plus-14 advantage in rebounds helped them collect many second-chance points, giving them a 26-12 edge in that category. Bam Adebayo added 18 points, continuing his reliable form this season. The Heat have now won three straight games, marking the third time they have achieved such a streak so far.

Keshad Johnson also made an important contribution with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Miami’s bench performed strongly too, with Pelle Larsson and Davion Mitchell scoring 16 points each. Dru Smith added 12 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 10, giving the Heat a balanced scoring spread.

For the Bulls, Ayo Dosunmu was the top scorer with 23 points. Josh Giddey added 19 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, coming close to a triple-double. Jalen Smith also scored 14 points. However, Chicago continued to face problems on both offense and defense. They shot 41.1% from the field and made only 12 of their 43 three-point attempts. The Bulls also committed 18 turnovers, which gave Miami many easy scoring chances.

The Bulls faced additional difficulties as Matas Buzelis, Isaac Okoro, and Dalen Terry all suffered injuries during the game. Kevin Huerter was ejected in the third quarter after tapping the ball toward an official in frustration. These issues added to the team's recent struggles, as they have now lost six of their last eight games.

Miami played the game without Nikola Jovic and Andrew Wiggins, both out due to hip injuries. The Bulls also missed Coby White, who sat out because of injury management. Despite missing players, the Heat played with strong teamwork and confidence, while Chicago continued to find it difficult to build rhythm.

With this commanding win, the Heat kept themselves in a good position in NBA Cup group standings. Their strong shooting, solid rebounding, and balanced scoring showed their improvement. The Bulls, however, will need to address their defensive issues and turnover problems if they want to recover in upcoming games.

The game highlighted Miami’s growing strength as a unit and Chicago’s continued inconsistency in the Cup competition.