Getty Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat take on Alex Caruso and the Chicago Bulls in the play-in tournament.
The Chicago Bulls travel to Miami to take on the Heat at the Kaseya Center on Friday, April 14 in the final play-in game in the Eastern Conference.
The game (7 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on TNT, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream on DirecTV Stream, which includes TNT and comes with a free trial.
That’s the best live stream option if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways you can watch a live stream of the Bulls vs Heat online:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” TNT is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the Bulls vs Heat live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of TNT and 40-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” or “Sling Blue” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with TNT, and you can get your first month for half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Bulls vs Heat live on the Sling TV app or Sling TV website.
Compatible devices for the Sling TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of TNT and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no added cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Bulls vs Heat live on the Hulu app or Hulu website.
Compatible devices for the Hulu app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Bulls vs Heat Preview
The winner of this game will earn the East’s No. 8 playoff seed and will head to Milwaukee to take on the No. 1 seed Bucks.
The Bulls eliminated the Toronto Raptors in their first play-in matchup, 109-105. Zach LaVine led the way for Chicago with a game-high 39 points, 17 of which came in the third quarter. The Bulls came back after being down by as many as 19 points, and LaVine was a huge reason why.
“What he did at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth before he came back out, it would have been very, very difficult for us to have won that game if he had not done that,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said about LaVine after the play-in victory. “So his performance was extraordinary. And it gave us life and it gave us hope. And then once we got back into it, a lot of guys made a lot of different plays. But I give him credit. He just had that mentality like he was going to do whatever he can do to help us get back in the game.”
DeMar DeRozan added 23 points for Chicago, while center Nikola Vucevic chipped in 14 points while hauling in a game-high 13 boards.
The Heat did not fare as well in their first play-in matchup, losing to the Atlanta Hawks, 116-105 on April 11. Miami was destroyed on the boards, getting out-rebounded 63-39, while Atlanta also dominated in the paint, out-scoring the Heat 64-46 down by the rim.
Kyle Lowry had the best game of his season, scoring a game-high 33 points, while Tyler Herro added 26 points and Jimmy Butler scored 21 in a losing effort.
“We have to know we are capable of winning, if we start out the right way and if we rebound obviously,” Butler said after the loss. “But it’s just, I don’t know, shots don’t go in, we foul — that’s never the recipe for success with us. So come Friday, we’ve got to play, like, legit the exact opposite that we played tonight.”
Miami couldn’t match Atlanta’s size, and now, the Heat will be challenged by Chicago’s strong backcourt in LaVine and DeRozan. Another player who could make life difficult for Miami is veteran point guard Patrick Beverley, whose tenacious defense could wind up be a big factor.
The Bulls are 3-0 against the Heat this season. They last played Miami on March 18, winning 113-99 in Chicago.
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Bulls vs Heat Live Stream: How to Watch Play-In Game Online