MIAMI — Erik Spoelstra hinted at potential lineup changes, but didn’t make any.

He’s glad he resisted the urge. The Heat are headed back to the NBA playoffs because of it.

Miami beat the Chicago Bulls, 102-91, in the Eastern Conference Play-In final behind 31 points from Max Strus — who was a prime candidate to be replaced in the starting lineup for Friday’s game.

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The Heat advance as the No. 8 seed in the East and will play the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks at 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

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Strus opened the game by knocking down his first three 3s and scored 14 in the first quarter. He finished with seven 3s and was 8-of-8 from the line; his 31 points tied a season high.

“He’s ignitable,” Spoelstra said of Strus, and not for the first time. “Watch out. If he hits two or three, then it can turn into a night like this.”

Strus made four or more 3-pointers in five games of the Heat’s extensive playoff run last year — but nothing quite like this. He was fouled on a 3-point try with 40 seconds left and knocked in all three against the Bulls, putting Miami ahead by eight. The Heat closed the game on a 15-1 run.

MAX STRUS HITS HIS 7TH THREE 🎯

HEAT LEAD BY 5 WITH 1 MINUTE REMAINING

📺: Live on TNT | Winner gets #8 seed

— NBA (@NBA) April 15, 2023

Strus, 27, is from the Chicago area (his hometown of Hickory Hills, Ill., is about 30 minutes outside the city). He went to DePaul, and his first two NBA games were with the Chicago Bulls, in 2020.

“I just hope when I go back this summer I don’t get any trouble,” Strus said. “I think I have some fans out there who have my back…but definitely, it’s good to beat the hometown team.”

Miami’s Jimmy Butler added 31 points — 13 of which came in the fourth quarter. He put on a clinic of making a play when Miami absolutely needed it, from stealing the ball when the Bulls were trying to go up six, to giving the Heat the lead for good with a tough layup with 2:17 to go. He was, and is, the anchor of a Miami team that has more clutch wins (33) — which means wins in games with the score within five points in the last five minutes — than any other team.

“He just willed it,” Spoelstra said. “Getting to the basket, getting and-1s, setting guys up, setting Max up.”

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Bam Adebayo finished with eight points on just 1-of-9 shooting, but posted 17 rebounds and was credited by Spoelstra for “traffic copping everything (the Bulls) were doing.”

The Bulls, who were up by as many as six points in the fourth quarter, were led by DeMar DeRozan’s 26 points. Alex Caruso scored 16 points but fouled out, and Zach LaVine was 6-of-21 shooting for 15 points.

“It hurts,” LaVine said. “I just didn’t shoot the ball well. A lot of good shots that normally go in. It sucks knowing that we were so close. If I make a couple of those, it could be the tipping point. So it hurts a lot.”

Chicago went 15-10 following the All-Star break after beginning the year 26-33 and was trying to become the first team since the Play-In began in 2021 to make the playoffs as a No. 10 seed.

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(Photo: Bryan Cereijo / Getty Images)