The Milwaukee Bucks sent their scrubs to the scorer’s table with 1:49 left on the clock. But it wasn’t for the reason most would think.
Instead of Doc Rivers having a hefty lead over a rebuilding Chicago Bulls squad, he watched his team struggle to erase a double-digit deficit. The Bulls wound up walking out of the Fiserv Forum with a shocking 133-122 victory. While they may have allowed the Bucks to shoot 49.5 percent from the field, their offense looked even more explosive. The Bulls finished a stunning 21-47 from behind the arc, marking the first time they made at least 20 threes in a game since Jan. 6, 2023. They failed to do it even once during the 2023-24 campaign.
The offensive showcase was led by Coby White, who proved to everyone that his breakout from last season was anything but a fluke. He finished the night with 35 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds on 7-13 shooting from downtown. Whether it was hitting a nasty stepback 3-pointer over Pat Connaughton or jumpstarting the fastbreak with a timely steal, White was the driving force behind an impressive early-season victory.
Even in a year where wins feel a tad counterintuitive due to draft logistics, these are the kind of games you love to see. White is one of the organization’s potential young building blocks, and he just lifted them to victory over a legitimate Finals contender. It’s hard not to be encouraged by that.
Bulls Player Grades
Coby White – A+
Stats: 35 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 4 STL
Duh. Coby White reached a point in this game where it felt like every time he shot the ball, people thought it was going in. You could hear the Fiserv Forum crowd groan when he was left open. Also, as impressive as the scoring is, White’s ability to impact the box score in several ways is what opens the door to so much optimism. He is the obvious Ankin Law: “Making it Personal” Player of the Game!
Zach LaVine – A
Stats: 25 PTS, 5 REB, 2 BLK, 9-15 FG
Zach LaVine looks healthy and motivated. While White stole the show, the Bulls don’t win this game without LaVine’s effort. He looked like his All-Star self with an extremely efficient 25 points on 9-15 shooting from the field. Sitting a few rows up from the basket, his effort defensively was also noticeable. Perfect? No, but he looked like a winning player tonight.
Nikola Vucevic – B
Stats: 22 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST
Talk about a good game for trade value! Nikola Vucevic may have left something to be desired with just a 7-17 shooting display, but he did go 4-9 from downtown! There is a case to make that this was a B- performance, but I’m giving him a half-letter-grade bump for taking the Giannis Antetokounmpo poster dunk on the chin. Ayo Dosunmu did him dirty there. That wasn’t his fault.
Josh Giddey – B
Stats: 17 PTS, 9 AST, 6 REB
Josh Giddey was far from perfect this evening, but he looked more like the player the Bulls hope he can be. He was a critical part of helping this offense kick things into high gear with his quick decision-making. He found Zach LaVine on some great cuts to the rim, as well as flashed his crafty floater a couple of times. Giddey clearly isn’t the most athletically gifted, but he knows how to pick apart defenses. Also, he hit the dagger from downtown!
Patrick Williams – C+
Stats: 13 PTS, 5 REB, 3 STL, 2 AST
Boy, this game was a rollercoaster ride for Williams. He started the night playing some tough physical defense on Giannis Antetokounmpo, but then the Greek Freak started to give him the work and the offensive refused to show up once again. Fast forward to the fourth quarter, however, and Williams made some HUGE baskets to help keep the Bucks at arm’s length. First up was a smooth 3-pointer before a DeMar DeRozan-like midrange jumper. The fact he had the confidence to step up in such a high-stakes moment was encouraging. Nevertheless, you want to see him even more involved through four quarters.
Box Score
Check out the full box score here.