Chicago Bulls Survive a Nail-Biter at the United Center 121-120

You know those nights where you leave the arena, take a deep breath of the cold city air, and just exhale? That was the vibe inside the United Center on Saturday night. It wasn’t necessarily a masterpiece—honestly, at times, it was a grind—but in this league, style points don’t count towards the standings.

The Chicago Bulls managed to pull off a 121-120 victory over the Washington Wizards, a game that felt like it was slipping away for three quarters before turning into a frantic, heart-pounding sprint to the finish line. For the 21,302 fans in attendance, it was equal parts frustration and exhilaration, ending with a collective sigh of relief as the buzzer finally sounded.

Vucevic and Giddey Lead the Charge for the Chicago Bulls

If you’re looking for the anchor of this team, look no further than Nikola Vucevic. The big man was an absolute force in the paint, putting up 28 points and ripping down 12 rebounds. When the offense stagnated, Vucevic was the release valve, hitting critical buckets, including three shots from deep that kept the defense honest. He was the steady hand the team desperately needed on a night where consistency was hard to come by.

Then there was Josh Giddey. The box score looks pretty, but watching him operate was something else entirely. He notched a triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. With three steals to his name, he was arguably the most impactful player on the floor, doing the dirty work that turns losses into wins.

A Game of Runs and Resilience

For a long stretch, this looked like it might be a trap game. The Wizards, despite riding a brutal losing streak, came out swinging. They went on a 14-0 tear in the second quarter that silenced the home crowd, taking a 70-64 lead into the halftime break. The Chicago Bulls spent the majority of the evening chasing the game, trying to chip away at a deficit that felt stubborn.

But the fourth quarter is where the narrative flipped. The Bulls finally found their rhythm, rattling off a 10-0 run midway through the period that erased the gap and woke up the building. Matas Buzelis came up huge, draining a three-pointer off an assist from Ayo Dosunmu to put Chicago up 112-110, giving them a lead they hadn’t tasted in a while. Buzelis finished with 13 points and 3 blocks, providing a spark of energy on both ends of the floor.

The Chaotic Final Minute

The last two minutes were pure chaos. It was a heavyweight bout of haymakers. Nikola Vucevic buried a three to put the Bulls up by five, but Washington wouldn’t go away. CJ McCollum and Kyshawn George hit back-to-back threes for the Wizards, suddenly putting the visitors up 118-117 with under two minutes to play.

The lead changed hands three times in those dying moments. Coby White, who finished with 20 points, hit a silky finger roll to reclaim the lead, only for Bilal Coulibaly to answer with a layup for Washington. With 34.2 seconds left, the Chicago Bulls found themselves down by one.

Enter Tre Jones.

Jones drove, got to the line, and calmly sank two free throws to make it 121-120. But the drama wasn’t over. Washington had one final chance. With 5.5 seconds on the clock, the Wizards had the ball and a shot to win it. But in a moment that perfectly encapsulated their season, Kyshawn George rolled the inbound pass harmlessly out of bounds. It was a heartbreaking error for Washington, extending their losing streak to 14, but a gift for Chicago.

Looking Ahead for Chicago

It wasn’t the prettiest defensive performance, allowing 120 points to a struggling team, but the Chicago Bulls showed grit. They clawed back from a halftime deficit, weathered a barrage of three-pointers from Corey Kispert and Cam Whitmore (who each dropped 20), and executed just enough down the stretch.

The Chicago Bulls don’t have much time to celebrate, though. They’ll look to carry this momentum into Monday night when they host New Orleans. If this game proved anything, it’s that this team fights to stay in it until the final whistle—even if they take years off their fans’ lives in the process.