If you turned off the TV at halftime, nobody would’ve blamed you. Honestly, it looked like the Chicago Bulls had already checked out of the Barclays Center. But by the time the final buzzer rang last night, we were all staring at a 112-109 loss that felt way more complicated than just a three-point deficit.
The chicago bulls score last night tells a story of two different teams wearing the same jerseys. For the first 24 minutes, they were sluggish, turning the ball over five times in the opening frame and shooting a miserable 6-of-24 in the second quarter. Then, the switch flipped. A 20-point hole turned into a one-point lead with 11 seconds left, only for Michael Porter Jr. to rip the heart out of the United Center faithful.
The Brutal Reality of the Chicago Bulls Score Last Night
It’s the kind of game that keeps Billy Donovan up at night. You can’t play twenty minutes of high-level basketball and expect to beat even a struggling Brooklyn Nets squad. The Nets came into this game on a five-game skid, looking for any reason to believe in themselves. Chicago gave them a reason by letting them go on a 15-0 run in the second quarter.
The final score was 112-109, but let’s be real: Brooklyn deserved it. Michael Porter Jr. was a problem all night, finishing with 26 points, including that gut-punch layup with 5.4 seconds on the clock.
Chicago’s comeback was fueled by desperation and some heavy lifting from the frontcourt. Nikola Vucevic was efficient, putting up 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He’s been the most consistent thing about this team lately, especially after that massive 35-point performance against Utah earlier in the week. But even Vooch couldn't save them when the perimeter defense collapsed in the closing moments.
Where It All Went Wrong in Brooklyn
If you want to find the exact moment things soured, look at the second quarter. 17 points. That’s all the Bulls could muster. Matas Buzelis, who we all want to see succeed, had a rough go of it early on. He missed a wide-open fast-break dunk that would have cut the lead to two. Instead, Brooklyn went on a tear.
Noah Clowney decided he was an All-Star for a night, dropping 23 points and grabbing 11 boards. The Bulls simply had no answer for his energy.
- The Turnover Bug: Chicago gave away possessions like they were holiday gifts.
- Slow Starts: Falling behind by 20 in the fourth quarter is a recipe for disaster.
- Execution: Tre Jones actually gave the Bulls the lead 109-108 with 11 seconds left, but the defense fell asleep on the ensuing inbound.
Ayo Dosunmu was a bright spot off the bench, providing 18 points and some much-needed defensive intensity. Jalen Smith also chipped in with a monster double-double—14 points and 13 rebounds. When Smith and Vucevic play together, the Bulls look bigger and meaner, but it wasn't enough to overcome the 19 three-pointers Brooklyn rained down on them.
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Looking at the Box Score and the Standings
After the chicago bulls score last night, the team sits at 19-22. That puts them 10th in the Eastern Conference, right on the edge of the play-in tournament. It’s a frustrating spot to be in. They have the talent to beat anyone—as they showed by nearly erasing a massive lead in one quarter—but they lack the killer instinct to finish off teams they should beat.
The stats from the game show a weird imbalance:
- Field Goal Percentage: Bulls shot 47.7%, which is actually better than Brooklyn's 42.9%.
- Three-Pointers: This is where the game was lost. Brooklyn made 19. Chicago made 11.
- The Ending: Tre Jones’ bad pass that got stolen by Drake Powell basically sealed the coffin.
It’s hard to win in the modern NBA when you’re outscored by 24 points from beyond the arc. Coby White had a quiet night by his standards, finishing with 17 points but struggling to find his rhythm from deep (2-of-7).
What This Means for the Rematch
The silver lining? They don't have to wait long for revenge. This was the first half of a home-and-home series. The Nets are heading to the United Center tomorrow, and you can bet the atmosphere will be tense.
Coach Jordi Fernandez for the Nets was quoted saying he thought his team could have won every game on their recent road trip. On the flip side, Billy Donovan basically said the Bulls can’t wait until they’re down 20 to start playing. He’s right. The energy Jalen Smith brought in the fourth quarter needs to be there from the jump.
Actionable Takeaways for Bulls Fans
If you're following the team's trajectory after the chicago bulls score last night, keep an eye on these specific factors for the next few games:
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- Monitor the Starting Lineup: Look for Billy Donovan to potentially move Jalen Smith into the starting rotation alongside Vucevic to counter teams with athletic wings.
- Watch Coby White’s Volume: The Bulls are at their best when Coby is aggressive early. If he’s not taking 15+ shots, the offense tends to stagnate.
- Check the Injury Report: Josh Giddey is still day-to-day with that hamstring. His playmaking was sorely missed in the half-court sets last night.
- Betting Trends: Chicago has been a resilient "over" pick lately because their defense is leaky but their scoring bursts are legitimate.
The Bulls are a team that plays to the level of their competition. It’s a dangerous way to live, but it makes for great television. Tomorrow's rematch at 7:00 PM EST is essentially a "must-win" if they want to stay ahead of the Nets in the standings and keep their post-season hopes alive.
Stop waiting for the fourth quarter to tune in. This team has shown they can't afford to waste time, and neither should you. Focus on how they handle the Nets' perimeter shooters in the first six minutes of the rematch; that will tell you everything you need to know about their mindset.