Herro scores 38 as Heat dominate Bulls 109-90 to advance in Play-In Tournament

CHICAGO (AP) — Tyler Herro and the Heat had it going right from the start. Another performance like that could catapult Miami into the playoffs.

Herro scored 38 points, and the Heat dominated the Chicago Bulls 109-90 on Wednesday night to advance in the Play-In Tournament.

Herro scored 23 points as Miami grabbed a 71-47 halftime lead, and the Heat knocked the Bulls out of the play-in for the third year in a row. They play at Atlanta on Friday for a chance to meet top-seeded Cleveland in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Hawks lost to Orlando on Tuesday.

“We're only halfway there,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We didn't have the luxury of having the one game and then you're automatically in. Guys feel great about this win and really put a lot into this. This is not something that could just happen overnight. I feel like there's been some good things happening the last several weeks.”

Getting to this point hasn't been easy for the Heat. There was the standoff with Jimmy Butler that ended with a trade deadline deal to Golden State in February, and a 10-game losing streak in March. Miami then won eight of 12 to close the regular season and finish 10th in the East at 37-45.

Against Chicago, Herro made his first eight shots and was 13 of 19 in the game.

Andrew Wiggins had 20 points and nine rebounds. Bam Adebayo added 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Davion Mitchell chipped in with 15 points and nine assists. The Heat had 10 steals and seven blocks, and it all added up to payback for a three-game sweep in the regular season.

Josh Giddey had 25 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago. Coby White scored 17, though he shot 5 of 20. Nikola Vucevic finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

“We didn't really have game-plan discipline,” White said. “We beat them in the regular season. We thought if we just do what we normally do, then we'll be good. But obviously, they've got guys that have been to the finals. They've got guys that know what it takes. They got a head coach who's one of the best head coaches in the league. They came in and they were the better team tonight.”

The Bulls got within 13 early in the fourth quarter, only to get shut down the rest of the way and miss the playoffs for the third year in a row.

“A lot of us made big-time buckets at the right time,” Adebayo said.

Herro set the tone, making all eight shots as the Heat broke the game open in the first half. He was hardly a one-man show, with Wiggins scoring 12 in the half and Adebayo adding 11 points and seven rebounds.

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Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, right, points as he talks to guard Coby White during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game against the Miami Heat in Chicago, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra gives direction during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bulls forward Zach Collins, left, blocks a shot by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game in Chicago, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat forward Kyle Anderson, right, blocks a shot by Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game in Chicago, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, right, shoots against Chicago Bulls forward Zach Collins during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game in Chicago, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, left, drives to the basket past Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game in Chicago, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, top, dunks against the Chicago Bulls during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game in Chicago, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, left, guard Kevin Huerter and center Nikola Vucevic, right, during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game in Chicago, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Battle of Ontario and moved on to the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Max Pacioretty scored the tiebreaking goal with less than six minutes remaining, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a series-clinching 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night in Game 6 of their first-round matchup.

William Nylander had two goals, including an empty-netter in the final seconds, and an assist, and Auston Matthews added a power-play goal in the first period for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz made 21 saves.

“We came in here with a little bit different mindset,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “It wasn’t do-or-die, but we wanted to finish it off here.

“A little bit more aggressive and on our toes.”

The Maple Leafs advanced to take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in their first-round series.

Toronto grabbed a 3-0 series lead, but Ottawa stayed alive with a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 4 and a 4-0 shutout in Game 5.

The Maple Leafs finally put away the Senators in Game 6.

“Nothing else really matters,” Matthews said. “The outside stuff doesn’t really matter. It’s about the guys that are in our room, and the belief in one another, doing it for one another.

“This one feels good.”

Toronto improved to 2-13 in potential series-clinching games since 2018 and advanced in the postseason for just the second time in more than two decades.

“We’re playing for each other,” Stolarz said. “Everyone knows their role, everyone knows their job. We have the confidence.”

Brady Tkachuk and David Perron scored for Ottawa. Thomas Chabot had two assists and Linus Ullmark made 19 saves.

“I really believed that we were going to come back and win the game,” Tkachuk said. “Just tough, just tough.”

With the game tied at 2, Pacioretty — a heathy scratch to start the series — scored the winner with 5:39 remaining off a pass from Max Domi that beat Ullmark to the glove side. It was Pacioretty's first goal of the playoffs.

Pacioretty, who blew his right Achilles tendon twice in less than 12 months before dealing with a couple injuries this season, contemplated retirement more than a few times, but chose to push on.

It paid off Thursday.

“I thought that I was done playing a number of times,” the 36-year-old forward said. “My story is just one of many. But there’s a lot of resilient guys in this organization, been through a lot as well.

“Guys like that motivate me to keep going.”

Scott Laughton hit the post before Nylander iced it into the empty net with 18.3 seconds left.

Matthews put Toronto up 1-0 on a power play with 70 seconds left in the first period when he fired a low shot through traffic.

Nylander, on his 29th birthday, made it 2-0 just 43 seconds into the second when he ripped a shot past Ullmark after Pacioretty forced a turnover from Senators defenseman Nick Jensen.

Ottawa got on the board at 7:28 when Tkachuk tipped a shot past Stolarz.

Toronto, which beat Ottawa four times in five playoffs series in the early 2000s, came close to restoring its two-goal lead when John Tavares poked a loose puck off the post before Ullmark denied Matthew Knies and Brandon Carlo off the rush.

Perron scored with 7:20 left in regulation to tie it on a shot from below the goal line that went in off Stolarz’s back to make it 2-2.

“That’s a hard-earned series,” Matthews said. “Move on to the next one.”

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Ottawa Senators' Tim Stutzle (18) shoots against Toronto Maple Leafs' Scott Laughton (24) and Steven Lorentz (18) during the second period of Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Michael Amadio, right, is knocked off his skates after a hit into the boards by Toronto Maple Leafs' Simon Benoit (2) during the second period of Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) scores against Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) during the second period of Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) makes a save against the Ottawa Senators during the second period of an NHL playoff hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' William Nylander, right, and Matthew Knies (23) celebrate as Auston Matthews (not shown) scores against Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during the first period of Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)