Key Takeaways:
- The Result: The Brooklyn Nets upset the Chicago Bulls 118-111, snapping Chicago’s home momentum.
- The Injury Factor: Chicago played its ninth straight game without Josh Giddey (hamstring), while Zach Collins remained sidelined.
- Rising Stars: Brooklyn’s Noah Clowney and Egor Demin combined to outpace Chicago’s veteran frontcourt in the fourth quarter.
CHICAGO — The United Center air went thin in the final three minutes on Sunday night as Noah Clowney hammered home a putback dunk to put the Brooklyn Nets ahead for good. Despite entering the night as 6.5-point favorites, the Chicago Bulls couldn’t find an answer for Brooklyn’s bench depth, falling 118-111. The loss highlights a glaring lack of playmaking for Chicago as they continue to navigate life without their primary floor general.
Short-Handed Bulls Buckle Under Pressure
Chicago looked sharp early, leaning on Nikola Vucevic to punish the Nets in the paint. Vucevic dominated the glass, but the Bulls’ perimeter defense evaporated in the second half. Without Josh Giddey to settle the offense, the Bulls’ half-court sets turned into a series of forced jumpers and late-clock desperation heaves. Coby White tried to carry the scoring load, but Brooklyn’s Egor Demin stayed attached to his hip, holding the Bulls’ star to just 4-of-12 from deep.
The Nets took advantage of every Chicago mistake. Brooklyn outscored the Bulls 32-21 in the final period, fueled by a 12-2 run that began when Michael Porter Jr. (resting) watched his young teammates dissect the Bulls’ zone. Clowney was the standout, finishing with a double-double and providing the defensive anchor that prevented Vucevic from regaining control late in the game.
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Nets | 28 | 30 | 28 | 32 | 118 |
| Chicago Bulls | 31 | 32 | 27 | 21 | 111 |
What They Said
“We lost our rhythm. You can’t let a team like that stay around in the fourth. We missed Josh’s ability to get us organized when the pressure ramps up, but that’s no excuse. We have to be better at closing games at home.” — Billy Donovan, Bulls Head Coach
“Everyone stepped up tonight. We knew they were thin at the guard spot, so we wanted to push the pace and make them work for every bucket. Noah [Clowney] was huge for us on the glass.” — Jordi Fernandez, Nets Head Coach
Play-In Stakes and the Giddey Countdown
The loss drops the Bulls to 19-22, keeping them firmly entrenched in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference Play-In race. The silver lining? Josh Giddey is reportedly “close” to a return. Sources indicate he could suit up as early as Tuesday against the Clippers, which would be a massive boost for a roster that looks exhausted from handling the ball.
If Chicago can’t get healthy soon, they risk falling out of the top ten entirely. Brooklyn, meanwhile, improves to 13-27, showing signs of life as their young core finally begins to jell under the bright lights of the United Center. Chicago must now pivot to a brutal West Coast stretch where their depth will be tested even further.
