Bulls Pull Off Overtime Thriller at Chase Center, 130-124
Matas Buzelis didn’t just play a basketball game Tuesday night. He announced himself.
The young Chicago forward dropped a career-high 41 points at Chase Center, hitting a clutch three-pointer with 2:20 left in overtime to help the Bulls escape San Francisco with a 130-124 victory over the Golden State Warriors. It was the kind of performance that makes you stop scrolling, rewind the highlight, and watch it again.
This one had everything. A furious fourth-quarter Warriors comeback. A game-tying free throw with 1.4 seconds left in regulation. And then, in overtime, Buzelis rose and drained the shot that essentially sealed it.
Buzelis Puts the Bulls on His Back
Buzelis finished 16-of-28 from the field, knocked down five three-pointers, and looked every bit like a player who’s figured something out. He scored 22 points in the paint alone — a number that tells you he wasn’t just launching from the perimeter. He was attacking, relentless, physical.
That aggression showed. From the opening tip, he was hunting his shot, reading defenses, and making plays that belonged in a highlight package. For a Bulls team that’s been grinding through a tough season at 27-38, this was exactly the kind of lift they needed.
Giddey Delivers His 10th Triple-Double of the Season
You can’t tell the story of this Bulls win without mentioning Josh Giddey. The Australian point guard was everywhere — 21 points, 17 assists, and 13 rebounds.
Giddey quarterbacked the Bulls offense with the kind of calm that doesn’t show up in the box score. He found cutters, threw the right passes in traffic, and kept Chicago’s offense humming even when Golden State clawed back to tie it late in the fourth. After the final buzzer, he grabbed the game ball and handed it to Buzelis. That moment said more than any stat line could.
Tre Jones added 22 points off the bench, providing another steadying force. And it was Jalen Smith — stepping to the line with 1.4 seconds left and the game on the line — who calmly buried both free throws to force overtime. No panic, no drama. Just two clutch buckets.
Warriors Come Up Short Again Without Curry
Golden State fought hard. Credit them for that. Down multiple starters — Stephen Curry (right knee), Seth Curry (sciatica), De’Anthony Melton, Moses Moody, and Quinten Post — the Warriors still pushed the Bulls to the brink.
Gui Santos scored 17 points, including a go-ahead layup with four minutes left in regulation. Pat Spencer was solid with 17 points and six assists. Kristaps Porzingis, playing just his second home game since arriving from Atlanta at the trade deadline, scored 17 and blocked four shots. LJ Cryer came off the bench and chipped in another 17.
But it wasn’t enough. The Bulls outscored them 12-6 in overtime, and Draymond Green — who finished a brilliant 4-of-5 from three but fouled out at a critical moment — couldn’t bail them out when it mattered most. Steve Kerr called the foul exactly what it was: “He just got his hand in the wrong spot.” Golden State has now lost three straight, all at Chase Center.
Bulls Bounce Back on the Road
This win matters beyond the box score. Chicago had just been blown out 126-110 by Sacramento two days earlier. Coming into a hostile road environment and grinding out an overtime victory — behind a 41-point career performance from their young forward — is exactly the kind of resilience a rebuilding team needs to see from itself.
The Bulls continue their West Coast road trip Thursday night in Los Angeles against the Lakers. If Buzelis is locked in like this, they’re worth watching.
