Heat make big statement in 143-107 NBA Cup victory in Chicago

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Nov 21, 2025

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Challenges? This Miami Heat team seemingly can’t get enough.

Friday night, it was having to go without sidelined Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic.

It also was having to win to stay alive in the NBA Cup in-season tournament.

And it was against an opponent that served as a reminder of failing to advance directly to the playoffs the past three seasons.

So Erik Spoelstra’s team made a statement.

Shorthanded? Not with this depth.

NBA Cup determination? Seemingly, with the Heat failing to advance to the knockout round in the event’s first two renditions.

Sick of the play-in? Hard not to remember, since the Chicago Bulls were an opponent in each of the past three years in that round.

So Miami Heat 143, Chicago Bulls 107 at the United Center.

This one, with feeling.

And plenty of credit to go around.

There were 19 points from Norman Powell, who pushed through another groin strain, 18 from Bam Adebayo, 16 from Davion Mitchell, as well as 20 points and 14 rebounds from Kel’el Ware, who was back in the starting lineup.

There even were a career-high 12 rebounds and 14 points from Keshad Johnson. Yes, Keshad Johnson, as the Heat moved to 10-6.

So make it 2-1 for the Heat in pool play in the NBA Cup with one game remaining, and perhaps as significant a +46 margin of victory, with that one of the prime tiebreakers in the in-season tournament.

Five Degrees of Heat from Friday night’s game:

— 1. Game flow: The Heat led 36-32 after the first quarter, went up by 25 in the second period, and led 70-52 at halftime.

The Heat then completely blew the game open in the third quarter, moving to a 102-75 lead entering the fourth.

Mitchell had nine points and three assists in the third quarter to all but decide it, with the Heat closing that period on a 15-2 run.

The Heat limited the Bulls to 6-of-26 shooting in the third, including 3-of-15 shooting on 3-pointers.

— 2. Back in: With Wiggins out, Ware moved back into the starting lineup a game after being bumped out by Adebayo’s return from his six-game absence.

Ware now has started 12 of his 16 appearances this season, having started six in a row before Wednesday night’s effort off the bench against the visiting Golden State Warriors.

Ware extended his career-best streak to seven consecutive games with double-digit rebounds.

— 3. Powell out, in: The rotation briefly got further muddled when Powell left 7:26 into the game with a strained left groin.

Powell missed three games earlier this season with a strained right groin — a victory over the Charlotte Hornets and losses to the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers.

This time, Powell returned to the bench by the end of the opening period, briefly rode the stationary bike in the tunnel leading to the locker room, and returned with 8:24 left in the second period.

He was up to 15 points by halftime, with 10 in the second period, able to sit out the fourth quarter because of the lopsided score.

Along the way, Powell converted his 1,000th career 3-pointer.

— 4. Keshad time: With Wiggins and Jovic out and with Pelle Larsson called for two fouls in the game’s opening 2:35, Keshad Johnson went from the end of the bench to the rotation, entering with 4:34 remaining in the first period.

By halftime, Johnson already had tied his career high of eight rebounds, matching the total he had in his five previous appearances this season.

Having played 24 total minutes this season prior to Friday, Johnson played 14 in Friday’s first half, surpassing his previous minutes total by the midpoint of the fourth quarter.

— 5. The Cup: With the victory, the Heat lifted their record to 2-1 in the NBA Cup, with Wednesday night’s home game against the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks remaining in its pool-play schedule in the in-season tournament.

The Bucks lead the pool at 2-0, with pool-play games for Milwaukee remaining against the Heat and New York Knicks.

Among the tiebreakers for both winning a group or receiving the conference’s wild-card berth to advance to the knockout quarterfinal round is margin of victory.

All games in the NBA Cup except the Dec. 16 championship game in Las Vegas count toward the regular-season standings.

The Heat failed to advance to the knockout round in the event’s first two years, in 2023 and ’24.