The Bulls took down the Hawks in a high-scoring thriller, where defense by either team was nowhere to be found.
Any hope that the Bulls' defense had turned the corner appears to be short-lived. Sunday's 152-150 win over the Hawks in Atlanta proved that Chicago still has a way to go on that end of the floor, even though the Bulls came away with the victory.
Matas Buzelis notched consecutive 20-point games for the first time in his young career, scoring a season-best 28 on a near-perfect 10-of-11 shooting. The second-year forward hit a career-high seven three-pointers to lead Chicago to its third win in a row.
The game was full of season-highs for the Bulls. Chicago's 152 points, 41 assists, 57.6% shooting percentage and 47.6% three-point efficiency were all its best in the 2025-26 campaign so far.
Nine of the 11 Bulls that saw the floor ended up in double-figures. Coby White scored 21 points, while Josh Giddey was one rebound short of a triple-double with 19 points, 12 assists and nine boards. Kevin Huerter (16 points), Isaac Okoro (14), Nikola Vucevic (13), Ayo Dosunmu (13), Tre Jones (11) and Zach Collins (10) all put up solid performances.
The game ended with a win for Chicago, but the Hawks got anything they wanted on offense. Jalen Johnson stuffed the stat sheet with 36 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, and Trae Young added 35 points and nine assists in his second game back from an MCL injury. Onyeka Okongwu and Vit Krecji contributed 23 and 20 points, respectively.
As a team, the Hawks made 52.0% of their shots and 48.9% of their three-pointers.
Following its third consecutive victory, Chicago is now 10th in the East with a 13-15 record. Atlanta fell to 15-15 with the loss.
The Bulls started the game on a heater, making eight of their first 10 shots. Five of those came from beyond the arc as White, Vucevic, Buzelis and Okoro (twice) all connected from downtown. Chicago jumped out to a 21-10 lead within four minutes, but the Hawks rallied to remain within striking distance.
Atlanta used a 12-4 run to make it a single-score game, then later pulled ahead with nine consecutive points. Young hit a one-legged three-pointer as the opening quarter wound down, and Patrick Williams' putback layup tied the game at 38 after one.
Both teams continued their offensive onslaught in the second period, leading to a season-best output from Billy Donovan's group. The Bulls dropped 45 to take an 83-73 advantage into the break, which marked the most points Chicago has scored in a quarter and a half this season.
Defense remained a struggle, of course, but the scoring breakthrough was also fueled by an exceptional shooting effort. The Bulls made 60.9% of their attempts and went 12-of-24 from deep in the first half, while the Hawks similarly shot 55.6% overall and were 12-of-21 from three.
Atlanta put up 42 points in the third behind five three-pointers from Young and Krejci, surging ahead to regain the lead. Dosunmu ensured his team entered the final quarter in front, though, with a pair of nifty layups that put the Bulls back up by one.
The Hawks and Bulls traded blows down the stretch, thanks to big-time shots from Young, Johnson, Buzelis and White. With Chicago leading by one and 1:11 to go, Giddey drilled a massive three. Vucevic then got his hands into the Hawks' passing lanes to force a steal, and Okoro finished the play with a transition layup through contact.
Johnson's three-pointer with 4.9 seconds remaining pulled Atlanta within one, 151-150, and Buzelis went 1-and-1 at the line to put Chicago up by two. Young had a chance at a tying shot at the buzzer, but couldn't convert on a floater while falling away from the basket.
The Bulls and Hawks will face off in a rematch on Tuesday, which will also be in Atlanta.