The Miami Heat didn’t just beat the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night - they dismantled them. Bam Adebayo and Pelle Larsson each dropped 20 points as Miami rolled to a 134-91 win, tying the third-largest margin of victory in franchise history. This one wasn’t just a win; it was a statement.
The Heat came out firing and never looked back, building a lead that ballooned to 54 points - their biggest advantage of the season and the second-largest of the play-by-play era (which dates back to 1996). Only their 60-point demolition of Memphis last March tops it.
For context, Miami’s previous high this season was a 45-point edge against those same Grizzlies back on October 24. Sunday night, they blew past that mark and kept pouring it on.
For the Bulls, it was a night they'd rather forget. That 54-point deficit?
It’s their worst since 2018, when they trailed Boston by 58. And while they’ve had a couple of rough nights this season - including two separate 41-point holes, one of which also came against Miami - this one hit a new low.
Miami’s scoring was balanced and relentless. Rookie big man Kel’el Ware added 17 points, while Andrew Wiggins and Jaime Jaquez Jr. chipped in 14 apiece.
Davion Mitchell, back from a shoulder injury, looked sharp with 13 points off the bench. And they did all this without Norman Powell (personal reasons) and Tyler Herro (ribs).
Powell, by the way, got some good news just after tip-off - he’s officially an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career.
Chicago’s offense, meanwhile, never found its rhythm. Coby White led the Bulls with 16 points, Nikola Vucevic added 12, and Ayo Dosunmu finished with 10. But the energy just wasn’t there, and Miami took full advantage.
There was even a feel-good moment late in the game when Vlad Goldin got on the board with his first NBA points - a dunk that came with some flair. He kicked out his legs mid-air in a move that looked like a nod to the iconic Jumpman logo. In a blowout like this, sometimes the little moments steal the show.
This matchup also wrapped up a rare scheduling quirk: three straight games between the same two teams in the regular season - something the NBA hadn’t seen since 1972. Originally set as a two-game series in Miami, a rescheduled January game from Chicago turned this into a three-game, four-night slugfest. Miami took two out of the three, and if Sunday’s result is any indication, they’re the ones walking away with all the momentum.
What’s next:
- Bulls: They’ll try to regroup when they visit Milwaukee on Tuesday.
- Heat: They stay home to host the Atlanta Hawks, also on Tuesday.