The Chicago Bulls have returned to .500, despite playing the last two games without Josh Giddey and Coby White.
The calendar year may have changed, but the Bulls once again found themselves in a close game on Friday night.
And for the second time in as many games since their starting backcourt went down with injuries, the Bulls came away with a victory. Behind Matas Buzelis' 21 points, nine rebounds, career-high seven assists, two blocks and a steal, Chicago took down the Magic with a strong fourth-quarter performance, 121-114.
With the win, the Bulls returned to .500 and moved to 17-17 on the season.
It was a well-rounded game for Chicago, which had six players finish in double figures. Kevin Huerter made four three-pointers en route to 20 points, while Nikola Vucevic logged a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double. Ayo Dosunmu was a team-high +18 on top of 17 points and seven assists. Patrick Williams chipped in 15 behind a 3-of-5 clip from deep.
Paolo Banchero's 31 points, six rebounds and six assists paced the Magic, who are now one seed ahead of the Bulls at 19-16. Anthony Black added 18 points and seven assists.
Chicago's bench outscored Orlando's, 57-27.
Jan 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) goes to the basket against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesBanchero wasted no time gashing the Bulls' defense. He scored Orlando's first nine points by converting on a pair of elbow jumpers, a corner triple and a layup in which he took advantage of a switch against Tre Jones. Banchero then dished a pass out for a Desmond Bane three-pointer, and the Magic were soon up by double digits.
The Bulls surged to take their first lead of the game, but it was short-lived. Orlando ended the first quarter on a 16-5 run — including 14 consecutive points — to take a 10-point advantage into the quarter break.
Dosunmu brought Chicago back with 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting to begin the second, and with the Bulls down by just one, Buzelis brought the house down.
The sophomore forward grabbed a rebound, then sprinted down the court in transition. With only Jalen Suggs standing in his way, Buzelis rose over the Magic guard before throwing down a thunderous jam. The dunk sent the United Center into a frenzy, as well as put the Bulls back on top by punctuating an 18-7 run.
Chicago ended up scoring 37 points in the second quarter, knotting the game at 59 apiece at the half. Dosunmu, Huerter and Williams all cracked double figures off the bench, while Banchero cooled off after his hot start with an 0-of-5 quarter shooting.
Buzelis and Jalen Smith each hit triples out of the half, and both teams traded buckets for the lead. Banchero returned to form with five makes on six attempts, ultimately giving Orlando a 95-91 advantage through three. Chicago's defense had no answer for the Magic and their former No. 1 overall pick, as the Bulls allowed Orlando to shoot 73.7% from the floor during the penultimate quarter.
As the clock wound down, the question became whether or not Banchero could single-handedly take down the Bulls, who shared the wealth with big-time shots across the lineup. With clutch baskets coming from all parts of the rotation, Chicago turned a four-point deficit into a seven-point lead as Orlando struggled to find the bottom of the net.
The Magic managed to make it a one-score game in the final minute, but as the shot clock expired amid what appeared to be a disastrous possession for the Bulls, Jones knocked down a fadeaway jumper to push Chicago's advantage to five once more.
Free throws from Buzelis put the game away to cement the Bulls' seventh win in nine games. In the fourth quarter, Chicago held the Magic to 8-of-24 shooting and 1-of-11 from deep.
The Bulls will host the Hornets to complete the second half of their back-to-back on Saturday night.