Bulls Erase 18-Point Deficit, Stun Hawks 126-123 for Fourth Straight Win

Not a brilliant win, but a win is a win.

The Chicago Bulls rallied from a 15-point deficit to stun the Atlanta Hawks in the final quarter, winning 126-123 on Wednesday night and extending their winning streak to four games before a short Christmas break.

Josh Giddey, recording his seventh career triple-double that tied his total in that category last season, posted 19 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds. Coby White notched a game-high 24 points, and Nikola Vucevic contributed 21 points and 10 boards.

The Bulls started poorly as the Hawks opened with a 7-0 run. Isaac Okoro and Vucevic cut it to a three-point game before Giddey found Vucevic for a wing three, followed by Giddey's fastbreak drive to tie it at 11.

Vucevic and Trae Young then traded three-point buckets — the former knocked down a trey from the top of the key while the latter responded with an and-one jumper. Vucevic remained hot with four straight points, but the Bulls were forced to take a timeout after Atlanta led 22-18.

White, missing his previous shots from deep, nailed his first after Zach Collins crashed for an offensive board. But Chicago couldn't hold off Atlanta's three-point firepower and trailed by seven. The Bulls edged closer to 30-36 after Tre Jones and Ayo Dosunmu contributed scores before the second quarter.

Kevin Huerter emerged at the beginning of the second with a three, but the Bulls derailed again after Asa Newell grabbed a second-chance dunk that extended the Hawks' lead to 10.

After a timeout, Giddey drilled two threes from the same weakside spot, but Atlanta responded with a 13-0 run, ballooning the lead to 18. Collins floated one in to staunch the bleeding, while Matas Buzelis broke away with six points to cut it to 12. White rejuvenated with two triples, but the Hawks maintained a double-digit advantage entering halftime.

Vucevic and Buzelis piled up 12 combined points in the first three minutes of the third quarter, trimming the Hawks' lead to single digits. White and Collins added three more, but Atlanta answered with four points. Onyeka Okongwu and Zaccharie Risacher combined for five, establishing an 15-point Hawks advantage.

Collins and Jones stepped up with six quick points to keep Chicago within striking distance. The Bulls rallied to 83-90 after Jalen Smith knocked down a three and converted an and-one. But the lack of interior defense allowed the Hawks to regain a double-digit cushion as Newell and Okongwu dominated the paint. Atlanta's hot streak continued, and the Bulls trailed 92-105 entering the fourth.

Chicago opened the final frame with an 8-0 run, cutting the deficit to five. Vit Krejci responded with a contested three to break Atlanta's drought. Buzelis returned and threw down an arm-stretching hammer. Okoro drew a foul under the rim and hit two free throws, forcing a five-point game at 105-110.

Risacher added five more points to maintain the Hawks' advantage, but White and Huerter hung in with four combined points. Jones darted downhill for a putback, and White's crucial three made it a one-point game. Jalen Johnson knocked down a jumper over Vucevic, but White answered with two free throws.

Jones scored a fastbreak layup with 1:20 remaining, giving Chicago its first lead of the night. After a key defensive stop, Giddey extended the lead to three, powering downhill for a strong two that forced an Atlanta timeout with 40 seconds left.

Vucevic missed an open corner three, but Okoro grabbed a massive offensive rebound to retain possession. White drew a foul from Okongwu, hitting one of two free throws.

With 11 seconds left, Nickeil Alexander-Walker drove downhill and scored a layup, tying it at 123 with 1.9 seconds remaining. The Bulls' best luck came when White drew another foul on the inbound pass. He and Vucevic combined for the final three points from the line, completing the 126-123 comeback and extending Chicago's winning streak to four.