The Miami Heat lost 119-111 at the Chicago Bulls Wednesday.
The loss put them at 36-44 for the season and almost guarantees the Heat face the Bulls (or another team) in the first game of the Play-In Tournament as the 10th seed in the East.
Here are some takeaways from the game:
Fastbreak Avalanche
Although the Bulls are middle-of-the-pack when it comes to scoring in transition, (tied with the Heat at 15th in transition points added per 100 possessions), they play at the second-fastest pace and are tied for first in transition frequency.
In a game where they lost by eight points, the Heat gave up a nine-point deficit in the fastbreak points margin, (15 to 24). The Heat gave up 12 fastbreak points in the third quarter alone, which is as many allowed the first two quarters combined.
Streaky Defense
The Heat gave up a 117.8 offensive rating, which would rank fifth in the league. They allowed 27 or more points in each quarter. The Bulls also converted on almost half of their shots in the halfcourt.
Josh Giddey, (28 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists), Nikola Vucevic (20 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists), Kevin Huerter (22 points, seven assists) and Matas Buzelis (17 points on 6 of 10 shooting) were the main culprits.
Davion Mitchell
In a game featuring many uneven performances, Davion Mitchell continues to stand out as one of the more consistently positive Heat players on both ends. He finished with 17 points on 6 of 10 shooting with eight assists, three rebounds, four steals and a block.
While he was on the floor, the Heat gave up a 107 offensive rating (second lowest mark in the league if extrapolated over a full season). When he wasn't playing, the Heat allowed a staggering 148 points per 100 possessions, which is 27 more points than the league's top-ranked offensive rating.
