Chicago Bulls Sneak Past Minnesota Timberwolves In a High-Scoring Win on the Road

It was a whole lot of offense and not much defense in Minneapolis on Thursday night, as the Chicago Bulls got back to .500 on the season with a 120-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Bulls Use Three-Point Barrage To Win

There isn’t a prettier sight than when NBA teams are knocking in three-pointers at a high rate, and the Bulls’ offense was scorching hot from deep in their win tonight. Chicago was able to hit 17 three-pointers in the game at a highly efficient 44% clip. Those threes ended up making the difference in the close win as the Timberwolves also made 15 threes but at a less efficient rate of 37% for the game.

Those 120 points scored by the Bulls came from a variety of sources this game, as seven different players for Chicago finished in double-figures in a collective effort. The two standouts on offense were Josh Giddey and Coby White, who led the way in scoring for the Bulls. White would drop a team-high 22 points as he served as the focal point of the Bulls’ offensive attack tonight.

Giddey provided White with ample support as he finished with a solid stat line of 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists while on a minutes restriction following his return from injury. Giddey had missed the previous 11 games for Chicago due to a left hamstring strain that he suffered back on Dec. 29.

The Bulls also saw a standout performance from Point Guard Tre Jones, who sliced up the Timberwolves’ stout defense with his passing, while also chipping in some points to boot. Jones finished with 12 points and 7 assists as he provided a nice spark off the bench next to Giddey in a nice showing for the Bulls’ second unit tonight. The Bulls’ bench finished with 49 points in the win.

Wolves Offense Excites, But Fouls Doom Them In the Loss

There was much to like about the Timberwolves’ offense tonight despite the loss, as Minnesota had a productive outing overall on that end of the floor. The Timberwolves saw all five starters score in double figures, but fouls and inefficiency by some of their star players led to the loss. The Bulls made 27 of 33 free throws in the game as Chicago lived at the charity stripe and three-point line in this game.

While Timberwolves franchise superstar Anthony Edwards ended the night with another 20-point performance, his 9-for-25 shooting from the field and 5 fouls would prove costly despite the scoring output. It was almost the same story for the Wolves’ other star player, Julius Randle, as he dropped an efficient 30 points, but fouled out when the Timberwolves needed him most in the closing minutes of the game.

There was also another bright spot for the Timberwolves, as Naz Reid continued his great play. The 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year finished with 20 points while also adding 3 blocks and 2 steals. This latest 20-point outing marked the fourth time this month that Reid has scored 20 points in a game.

Where Both Teams Currently Sit In the Standings

With a win against the Timberwolves, the Bulls are on a bit of a hot streak this week. They are back at .500 this season with a 22-22 record. The Bulls now have a comfortable three-game lead over the Atlanta Hawks for 9th place in the Eastern Conference standings, and are just one game back of the Miami Heat for 8th.

For the Timberwolves, this loss slips them further down the jam-packed Western Conference standings as they now sit in the 7th-place spot, as they swapped spots with the surging Phoenix Suns. This game also marked their 4th straight loss as Minnesota has hit a bit of a rough patch in the middle part of the season.