Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images

Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls will officially face the Miami Heat in the opening round of the play-in tournament. The Bulls have lost to Erik Spoelstra’s team both times they’ve faced off in the newly formed elimination tournament.

However, on Sunday, April 13, Billy Donovan issued a rallying cry for his team when he spoke to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

“The game Wednesday [will] be the last game of the year if we don’t win, so we have to throw everything we’ve got into that game,” Donovan said. “I’m a big believer each game is its own individual. What’s in the past is in the past. You can take things from games, but this is totally fresh and new; everything is new.”

Donovan continued.

“Sure, you will look at how you played against them the three times we played, but their roster changed [with the trade of Butler] and so has ours [with the trade of LaVine]. So it’s not the exact teams. Different year, different challenges and different opportunities.”

Chicago has been playing at a new level since the Feb. 6 trade deadline. They have all the pieces they need to finally secure a win over the Heat. Of course, that means there will be significant pressure on Josh Giddey and Coby White, who have thrived as a guard tandem in recent months.

Nevertheless, it will take a full team effort to shut down the Heat, regardless of their struggles this season.

Bulls Veteran Nikola Vucevic Expects Tough Game

When speaking to Cowley on Sunday, veteran big man Nikola Vucevic shared his thoughts on the upcoming game against the Heat. The impressive center, who has been playing at a borderline All-Star level all season, believes Chicago must win the battles on the margins, making hustle plays and giving extra effort on 50/50’s.

“It’s going to be a tough game,” Vucevic said. “It always is when you play Miami, a very well-coached team, well-prepared. But that’s whoever we’d be playing because it’s win or go home. It should be a fun game — at home, big crowd. It’s not going to come down to X’s and O’s as much as the hustle plays, the effort and all that. When you play Miami, what they run is very disciplined. We have to be at our best.”

Vucevic’s floor spacing and rebounding will both be essential to the Bulls’ chances of success. When he’s operating on the perimeter, it creates the space for Chicago’s playmakers and interior scorers to pressure the rim and interior defense. Miami may struggle to control the gaps on the defensive side of the floor.

Lonzo Ball’s Status Remains a Mystery

Lonzo Ball hasn’t been seen in the Bulls uniform since February 28. As such, it’s unlikely that we will see him participate in the upcoming play-in game against the Heat. However, according to Donovan, Ball’s issue isn’t medical; rather, there is a pain barrier that is keeping him off the court.

“There’s no problem medically — from what I’ve been told by the people that have been dealing with his wrist — of him going out there and playing,” Donovan said. “Whenever he does get back to playing, if he falls on it wrong, he’s going to be right back to where he was. If he can get back and play to a point where he feels comfortable that he can be productive out there, we’re going to play him.”

If the Bulls do make it past the Heat, they will face the loser of the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic. Assuming the Bulls then win that game, it will be interesting to see whether Ball has a role to play during the post-season. If not, then he will end his first season back from a 2.5-year absence, having played just 35 games.

There’s plenty of time for Ball to recover during the summer. For now, though, all attention must be on beating Miami.