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The Chicago Bulls took on the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night in the NBA play-in tournament with their season on the line. Coby White stepped up big time for the Bulls and led the team to an easy 131-116 victory behind a 42-point performance. The Hawks are now done, and Chicago is moving on to play the Miami Heat on Friday night in Miami. The winner of the game will go on to the playoffs to play the Boston Celtics, and the loser is done.
Miami almost locked up a playoff bid on Wednesday when they hit the road to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. The Heat got out to a big lead early in the game, but Philadelphia was able to climb back in it and make it a close game down the stretch. The Heat had a lot of chances to get the win, but they couldn’t get it done.
Unfortunately for the Heat, they will be without their star, Jimmy Butler, in their play-in game against the Bulls. Butler went down with a MCL injury against the 76ers, and he is now expected to miss multiple weeks. If Miami does win against Chicago, they will be still be without Butler for a good chunk of the playoffs at least. That is a huge blow for the Heat and it is going to be difficult for them to make noise in the postseason without him.
The Heat will have to advance to the playoffs without Jimmy Butler. It won’t be easy as the Bulls looked good on Wednesday, but Miami is at home and they are slight favorites. This should be a tight matchup, and it should be full of intensity as it is a do or die battle. Here are some predictions for the huge play-in game.
DeMar DeRozan will score 35+ points
On Wednesday, Coby White and DeMar DeRozan both got out to hot starts and the Bulls got out to a big lead early. However, White was the one that ended up stealing the show and leading Chicago to victory. Expect both players to have big games again, and they will both need to bring their A-game if the Bulls are going to win. However, DeRozan is going to be the one to lead the Bulls this time around. He has been one of the most clutch players in the league this season, and he is going to have a big game.
The Bulls are going to win
The Heat are favorites in the game, but it is going to be difficult for them to win this game without Jimmy Butler. Miami has had a lot of recent postseason success, but Butler has been a big part of that. He is their leader, and it is going to be interesting to see how the team performs without him. It will be a tough adjustment for them, and this is their first game without him. It wouldn’t be surprising if Miami is in a bit of a funk.
On the other hand, the Bulls are feeling good right now, and they want to avenge their loss from last year’s play-in tournament against the Heat. Miami ended their season a year ago, and Chicago doesn’t want to let that happen again. The Bulls played a great game against the Hawks, and they are going to play well again and get into the playoffs.
More must-reads:
- Kristaps Porzingis' absence shouldn't derail Celtics in East
- Celtics provide updated timeline on Kristaps Porzingis injury
- The 'Highest career PPG in the playoffs' quiz
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