MILWAUKEE — The Chicago Bulls spoiled the home opener for the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, upsetting the Eastern Conference powerhouse with a 133-122 win — their first of the season.
The game marked coach Billy Donovan’s 400th NBA victory. Coby White powered the offense with 35 points while Zach LaVine added 25 and Nikola Vučević 22.
Here are five takeaways from the win.
1. Fast-paced offense — fueled by 3s — outweighed defensive mistakes
The Bulls might not provide much defensive resistance this season, but they’re banking on their ability to outscore opponents. That approach paid off Friday as the Bulls dropped 133 points on the Bucks to balance out their defensive mishaps.
Kick-out 3-pointers operated as the engine for the Bulls, who finished 21 of 47 (44.7%) from behind the arc, two more makes than their best output last season. They also cleaned up their mistakes after a disastrously sloppy performance in the opener in New Orleans, giving up only 10 turnovers for 14 points against the Bucks. Their 21 turnovers Wednesday led to 30 Pelicans points in a 123-111 loss.
The Bulls scored 130 points in regulation only five times last season.
2. Coby White passed Ben Gordon on Bulls’ all-time 3-pointer list
A thunderous night from 3-point range elevated White to No. 3 on the Bulls’ career list. The guard passed Ben Gordon with his third 3 of the game in the first half. White (776) trails only Kirk Hinrich (1,049) and Zach LaVine (1,001) on the franchise list.
White finished just two points shy of his career high of 37 points while shooting 12-for-20 from the field and 7-for-13 from behind the arc. (White scored 42 points in a play-in tournament game last season, but those stats don’t count in the league’s official records.)
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo posterized Nikola Vučević
Vučević fell victim to a monstrous dunk from Antetokounmpo after Ayo Dosunmu turned the ball over in the backcourt in the first half, giving the two-time MVP a runway to launch himself in the paint and over the Bulls center for a vicious slam. Vučević attempted to step in the way to block Antetkounmpo’s path to the rim, but the effort ultimately only sent him tumbling backward to the hardwood.
“There was nothing I could do,” Vučević said. “I turned, I saw him coming, I was like, ‘Ah.’ It’s not the first time. Hopefully it is the last.”
GIANNIS TOOK FLIGHT FOR THE POSTER! pic.twitter.com/MTI7mDD3rG
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 26, 2024
Antetokounmpo finished with 38 points, 11 rebounds and five assists despite the best efforts of Vučević and Patrick Williams to slow him on the defensive end. But Vučević rebounded from the lowlight with a resounding offensive performance, logging 22 points and 10 rebounds. He went 4-for-9 from behind the arc — his most 3-pointers in a game since the 2022-23 season.
4. Matas Buzelis scored his first NBA points
After a short and scoreless stint on the court in the opener, the rookie first-round pick scored the first points of his NBA career in the second quarter Friday. Buzelis bobbled the ball as he attempted to spin around Bobby Portis Jr. on the low block but kept his handle and fired a fadeaway jumper to sink a two-pointer.
Matas Buzelis gets his first NBA bucket!@CHSN__ | @BuzelisMatas pic.twitter.com/D2PW0MrU46
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 26, 2024
Buzelis played 8 minutes, 59 seconds, a step up from his 4:42 in the opener. He finished with two points and two assists.
5. Patrick Williams took his time to make an offensive impact
The entire starting lineup scored in double digits. But for three quarters, it seemed as if Williams would be the outlier of the group.
The forward scored only three points — and took only six shots — in the first three quarters. But he finally shook off his hesitancy, sinking a 3-pointer and tallying 10 points in the frame to provide a late lift. He finished with five assists and four rebounds, a crucial improvement from a quiet night in New Orleans.
