Heroic Effort From Bulls' Bench Leads Chicago to Comeback Victory

After a 43-point bludgeoning at the hands of the Toronto Raptors in the season opener and a slow start to Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, head coach Tiago Splitter looked to his bench to provide a spark.

The Bulls scored just 17 points in the first quarter, then exploded for 44 in the second to surge back and take their first lead of the season. Leonard Miller, Isaac Okoro and Buddy Hield combined to make all 10 of their shot attempts for 25 points, while Tre Jones dished out six assists and did not turn the ball over. The steady hand righted Chicago's ship, helping alter the course of the game and eventually bringing the Bulls to a 132-125 win.

"I cannot say enough about Tre," Splitter said during his postgame press conference. "He changed the game, the way he led the second unit, and then at the end, doing the right thing."

Splitter rewarded Jones and Okoro by letting them finish the game, rather than starters Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. Miller also played into the final minutes before being replaced by starting center Jalen Smith to close out the game.

For the first-year full-time head coach, the decision was simple: he wanted to win the game. Those players — whose efforts had gotten the Bulls to that point — gave Splitter his best chance at doing so.

Jones finished with 11 points, eight assists, three rebounds, two steals and a team-best +24 plus/minus. Miller scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

Okoro's performance was significantly better than in the season opener, when he attempted just one shot and ended with four points and four personal fouls. The veteran wing scored 12 points in 28 minutes against the Bucks and played end-to-end defense throughout.

"Defensively, he always brings intensity," Splitter said of Okoro. "Even though [Tyler] Herro — who's a great offensive player — scored a couple times on him, I think throughout the game, he did a tremendous job. I told you guys from the beginning, he's a guy that can finish games like this and stop the best player on the other side."

Perhaps the most standout effort relative to expectations came from Noa Essengue, the 19-year-old forward that Chicago's prior front office selected with the No. 12 overall pick last year. A shoulder injury sidelined him for all but six minutes a season ago, and after an uninspiring Summer League and start to the preseason, it seemed likely that the developmental Frenchman would end up on the wrong side of the Bulls' logjam at forward. Essengue played 10 minutes in the opener, accounting for one point, three rebounds, a turnover and two personal fouls.

But Splitter called on Essengue's number early against Milwaukee, and the 6-foot-11 teenager delivered. He ended up playing 17 minutes — just six seconds less than Buzelis — and totaling four points, three steals and a block. Essengue's +14 plus/minus was the second-best on the team, trailing only Jones.

The performance marks the start of a potential breakthrough for Essengue, who has taken Splitter's coaching to heart in their limited time together.

"I had a conversation with him two months ago on how he should approach differently every practice, and he changed," Splitter said. "He's another player. He just goes hard every possession, wants to guard the best player on the other team, can slide his feet in front of other people. He's long. His arms create so many deflections. He's been outstanding."

Asked about what changed for Essengue, Splitter said that players can sometimes go through the motions in practice. Once he instilled the mentality he wanted and ensured Essengue was training at game speed, Splitter saw a different player.

Splitter does not intend to change the starting lineup after the strong game from his bench. He wants his reserves to be able to play fast with their limited minutes and provide energy from the moment they step on the court, which is especially essential with Essengue's full-court defensive pressure and Jones' downhill speed.

The Bulls will look to start stronger on Saturday night during their home opener against the Washington Wizards. But if they don't, Chicago's bench will aim to provide the much-needed pick-me-up once again.