Bulls Fall 97-75 to Heat as Coby White Misses Crucial NBA Cup Clash Despite Recent Return

The Chicago Bulls were handed a decisive 97-75 loss by the Miami Heat on Friday, November 21, 2025, at the United Center in Chicago — a game that could define their path out of the NBA Cup Group Play. The real story wasn’t just the score. It was the absence of Coby Laren White, the Bulls’ explosive guard who’d just returned from a calf strain and was averaging 26 points and 7.5 assists in his first two games back. He was listed as questionable. He didn’t play. And the Bulls paid the price.

A Team in Transition, Without Its Spark

White’s absence wasn’t just a statistical loss — it was a psychological one. The Bulls entered the game at 8-6 overall and 5-1 at home, riding a wave of momentum after a surprising win over the Celtics. But without White’s ability to penetrate, create for others, and knock down mid-range jumpers, their offense stalled. They looked lost. The Heat, meanwhile, were surgical. Norman Powell, averaging 25.4 points per game this season, dropped 27 on 10-of-18 shooting, hitting free throws at a 93.3% clip. He didn’t just score — he controlled the tempo.

Chicago’s starting five — Josh Giddey, Kevin Huerter, Isaac Okoro, Matas Buzelis, and Nikola Vucevic — looked like a lineup cobbled together from a trade deadline wishlist. Giddey, who averages 20.8 points, managed just 14 on 5-of-15 shooting. Vucevic was doubled from the opening tip. No one stepped up to fill the void White left. And that’s the problem: the Bulls don’t have a true backup who can replicate his offensive burst.

The Heat’s Second-Quarter Surge Broke the Game Open

The turning point came midway through the second quarter. With the score tied at 34-34, Miami went on a 20-5 run over 6 minutes and 50 seconds. It wasn’t flashy. It was disciplined. Pelle Larsson hit a corner three. Davion Mitchell drove and dished to Simone Fontecchio for a layup. Bam Adebayo set three screens that freed Powell for open jumpers. The Bulls, meanwhile, turned the ball over four times in that span. Eleven total for the game. That’s not bad luck. That’s a lack of ball-handling confidence — and White’s absence was the root cause.

“When Coby’s out, we’re not just missing points,” said Bulls assistant coach John Lucas in a postgame interview. “We’re missing the guy who makes the defense hesitate. Without him, you’re playing against a static defense. And Miami? They eat that alive.”

Injuries Pile Up as the NBA Cup Hangs in the Balance

The Bulls weren’t just missing White. They were also without Zach Collins (knee) and Tre Jones (ankle), both listed as questionable. That’s three key rotation players sidelined — two of them guards who help control pace. The Heat weren’t exactly healthy either — Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic, Andrew Wiggins, and Terry Rozier were all out — but they had more depth at the right positions. Norman Powell, who signed a two-year deal last offseason, has become their most reliable scorer. He’s not a superstar, but he’s the kind of player who thrives when others are out.

After the win, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praised his team’s resilience. “We knew Chicago was going to be physical. We knew they’d try to slow us down. But we stayed patient. We trusted the process.”

What This Loss Means for the Bulls’ Playoff Hopes

The loss dropped Chicago to 8-7 in the Eastern Conference, slipping them to seventh place. Miami, at 10-6, moved into fifth — just one game behind the Hawks and Magic, who are tied at 9-7. With only eight group games total, the Bulls now need to win both of their remaining Group Play matchups to even have a shot at advancing. The rematch against Miami is set for January 8, 2026 — a potential must-win if Chicago wants to avoid the play-in tournament.

Here’s the brutal truth: without Coby White, the Bulls are a middle-of-the-pack team. With him, they’re a top-four contender in the East. His return in early November had been the spark they’d been waiting for. Now, with him sidelined again — and no clear timetable for his return — the clock is ticking.

The NBA Cup: More Than Just a Tournament

The NBA Cup, officially branded as the In-Season Tournament by Fox Sports, is entering its second year with more urgency than ever. Teams are treating it like a mini-playoff. The winner gets a trophy, a cash bonus, and — crucially — a seeding advantage in the regular-season standings. For a team like the Bulls, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2022, this is a rare chance to build momentum.

But injuries are exposing their fragility. They’re too reliant on White, too thin on the wings, and too old in the frontcourt. Vucevic, 34, is still effective, but he can’t carry a team. Giddey, 22, is talented but inconsistent. Buzelis, 19, is raw. The future is there — but the present? It’s shaky.