It’s been more of a haunting than a rivalry.
Few teams have crushed the dreams of the Bulls organization in the last 15 years or so more than the Miami Heat.
Whether it was LeBron and the “Heatles” showing Derrick Rose who the real MVP was come playoff time or Jimmy Butler sending the Zach LaVine Bulls on an early spring vacation the last few seasons, South Beach has been a place where hopes go to die for Jerry Reinsdorf’s franchise.
That’s why Billy Donovan is taking nothing for granted.
It doesn’t matter to the Bulls coach that his team swept the 2024-25 season series or that this year’s play-in showdown will be at the United Center rather than making the haul down to Miami.
“The game Wednesday could be the last game of the year if we don’t win, so we have to throw everything we’ve got into that game,” Donovan said. “I’m a big believer each game is its own individual. What’s in the past is in the past. You can take things from games, but to me this is totally fresh and new, everything is new. Sure, you will look at how you played against them the three times we played, but their roster changed (with the Butler trade) and so has ours (with the LaVine trade).
“So it’s not the exact teams. Different year, different challenges and different opportunities.”
What Donovan has in his favor going into Round 4, however, is a red-hot backcourt that’s given Miami issues throughout the year – LaVine or no LaVine.
Josh Giddey has been a match-up nightmare in all three games, averaging a triple-double with 26 points, 10.3 rebounds and 10 assists per game, while White has averaged 20.3 points and 4.7 assists.
But the main difference in all three games has been the Bulls’ ability to seemingly wear Miami down through the first three quarters with the run-and-gun pace they play at and then overwhelm them in the fourth.
If styles make the fight, Miami has received a lot of standing 8-counts in all three regular-season games, evident by the fact that the Bulls have outscored the Heat by a combined 102-68 in the fourth quarter of those contests.
Makes sense considering the Bulls are a top three team in pacing (104.6), while Miami is dead last (97.7).
That’s why Wednesday will be all about which team can dictate their identity on the other.
“I really appreciate what these guys have done on a lot of different levels,” Donovan said about the up-tempo transformation his roster made this season. “To change the way we changed stylistically (from previous years) and for them to be committed physically was helpful. As I said from day one, if we don’t run, we’re done. I think we did a good job of that.”
The job is not finished, however.
Finishing in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 spot of the play-in has a definite March Madness feel to it because it’s a one-and-done. There’s no regrouping, watch the film, and adjust the game plan.
That will be the message as soon as the Bulls wrap up the regular season Sunday in Philadelphia. There will be little room for error, no matter how the regular season went.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” veteran big man Nikola Vucevic said. “It always is when you play Miami, a very well coached team, well prepared, but that’s whoever we’d be playing because it’s win or go home.
“It should be a fun game, at home, big crowd. It’s not going to come down as much to Xs and Os as much as the hustle plays, the effort and all that. When you play Miami what they run is very disciplined.
“We have to be at our best.”
Or the ending will feel very familiar.