By Rafael Bandayrel

The Chicago Bulls exacted revenge on the Miami Heat with a hard-fought 125–118 victory in their Eastern Conference showdown Sunday morning (PH time) at the Kaseya Center.

Both teams traded runs throughout the contest, with each side building respectable leads as the game swung back and forth. The Heat made their biggest push in the final stretch, finally pulling even at 106-all after Andrew Wiggins calmly sank two clutch free throws.

What followed was a tense final minute, with the Bulls repeatedly trying to create separation while Miami answered just as often to keep the game within reach. Chicago eventually found its breakthrough behind Matas Buzelis, who delivered in the biggest moment. Buzelis scored on a strong layup and then buried a momentum-shifting triple to give the Bulls a 121-116 advantage with 39 seconds remaining.

Miami’s chances faded from there, as Pelle Larsson missed a crucial three-pointer that could have cut the deficit. The Bulls closed out the win at the line as the Heat ran out of time.

Ayo Dosunmu continued his impressive stretch for Chicago, stuffing the stat sheet with 29 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals to lead the Bulls.

The two teams won’t have to wait for another clash, as the Bulls and Heat are set to face off for a third straight time tomorrow.