The 2024-25 NBA Play-In Tournament is in full swing, and we’ve got a doozy of a game tonight. The ninth-seeded Chicago Bulls will host the 10th-seeded Miami Heat at the United Center in Chicago. The winner of this matchup will go on to play the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Heat and Bulls played each other three times this season, to which Chicago won all three matchups, most recently with a 119-111 win on April 9. However, Miami holds the all-time edge with a 64-48 regular-season record against Chicago.
Here’s all the information you need for tonight’s game.
Time, Channel, and Location for Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls NBA Play-In Tournament Game
- Date/Time: Wednesday, April 16, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Channel/Streaming: ESPN; ESPN+, Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV
Chicago Bulls Potential Starting Lineup and Injury Report
The Bulls may be the home team heading into tonight’s matchup, but Chicago could be missing some key pieces. Guard Ayo Dosunmu is already out for the season with a shoulder injury. Lonzo Ball may also miss the game, as injuries have limited him to just 35 games this season. Meanwhile, both Tre Jones and Josh Giddey, who are listed as day-to-day, are expected to suit up.
As of now, Chicago’s projected starting five will be Kevin Huerter, Matas Buzelis, Nikola Vučević, Giddey, and Coby White.
Miami Heat Potential Starting Lineup and Injury Report
Miami comes into tonight’s game with a lengthy injury report. Pelle Larsson (ankle), Isaiah Stevens (foot), Alec Burks (back), Nikola Jović (hand), and Kevin Love (personal reasons) are all listed as game-time decisions.
Heading into this pivotal matchup, Miami’s projected starting five is Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Kel’el Ware, Tyler Herro, and Burks.
Tonight’s matchup is all about the point guard play. White leads the Bulls in scoring with 20.4 points and shoots 37% from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Herro put together an All-Star-level season, scoring just under 24 points per game and averaging 5.5 assists.
Tonight is a do-or-die showdown between two historic franchises; tip-off can’t come soon enough. The winner will travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Friday, April 18, to determine the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed and the first-round opponent for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The loser, meanwhile, will be eliminated from postseason contention and will be forced to focus on next month’s NBA Draft Lottery to determine their selection for this year.