MIAMI — There is a reason the NBA stopped scheduling sets of four games in five nights. It is the reason the postponed Heat-Bulls game from Jan. 8 was rescheduled as part of such a set only as a last resort.
Faced with the scheduling, the Bulls opted for rest and recovery for Saturday night’s game against the Heat at Kaseya Center, expected to field a more typical lineup in Sunday’s rematch back on the Heat’s court.
For the Bulls, it led to Chicago listing guard Josh Giddey (hamstring) and center Nikola Vucevic (rest) as out for Saturday night, with guard Coby White (calf) held out of Saturday morning’s shootaround at Kaseya Center, with rest considered in his best interest, as well.
Factor in the calf injury sustained by forward Jalen Smith in Chicago’s 116-113 loss Thursday night to the Heat, and it meant the Bulls turning to their two-way players to round out Saturday’s rotation.
Then there is the case of the Heat’s ever-shrinking backcourt rotation, with Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell and Norman Powell all ruled out for Saturday night.
It is the ninth consecutive game Herro has missed with a rib issue, having last played Jan. 15. Factoring in toe and ankle issues, Herro has played just 11 games this season.
For Mitchell, Saturday’s absence marks the sixth consecutive game he has missed with a shoulder sprain and the eighth game he has been sidelined by the injury. He has appeared in just two games since Jan. 13.
Powell was listed out for personal reasons on Saturday, with the likelihood of a Sunday return.
The Heat and Bulls find themselves in the compacted scheduling because of the postponement of the Jan. 8 game at United Center due to condensation on the court.
The stretch of four games in five nights for the Bulls began with a Wednesday night road loss to the Indiana Pacers, while the same four-in-five began for the Heat with a Wednesday night home loss to the Orlando Magic.
The absences on both sides come days ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. NBA trading deadline.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan said it is not a case of holding players out in case of potential trades.
“I think that taking players and just saying, ‘Hey, listen, I don’t know what’s going to happen, maybe you’re here, maybe you’re not here, but we’re just going to sit you out until after the trade deadline,’ I don’t know if that would necessarily make sense,” Donovan said.
“So I think that if you were going to do that to somebody, I think it would be clear like, ‘Listen, we’re going to do everything we can in our power to move you. We know that and they know that and this is why we’re sitting you out.’ But I think to go to a player and say, ‘Listen, I just want to let you know the trade deadline’s around. We’re just going to sit you. I’m not sure what’s going to happen.’ That would be, I think, a hard conversation.”
All-Star reserves
All-Star reserves will be announced Sunday, with Powell considered the Heat’s frontrunner for such a slot, with center Bam Adebayo also with a chance.
All-Star reserves are voted upon by conference coaches.
Of Powell, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after the teams’ most-recent meeting, “Norman Powell is such an important player for them. Powell to me is an All-Star this year. He’ll get a vote from me. I have no problem saying it publicly. He’s been really tremendous this year for them.”
Powell has never made the All-Star Game over his 11-season career.
Herro was the Heat’s lone All-Star last year, with Adebayo the Heat’s lone All-Star in 2023 and ’24.