Tiago Splitter Earns First Bulls Win as Chicago Rallies to Beat Bucks

The group that started the game for Chicago wasn't the same as the one that finished it, but the Bulls have their first win of the Tiago Splitter era.

Splitter relied on his bench to climb out of an early 15-point deficit on Friday, and the Chicago Bulls (1-1) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (0-2) on the road, 132-125.

Norman Powell's 25 points led the Bulls, and rookie Caleb Wilson bounced back from a rocky debut with 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting, six rebounds, two blocks and a steal. He also nailed four clutch free throws in the final minutes.

Leonard Miller (19 points) was one of four Chicago players to score in double figures off the bench, along with Buddy Hield (13), Isaac Okoro (12) and Tre Jones (11 points and eight assists). Jones and Okoro both finished the game for the Bulls, while Miller and Hield provided crucial minutes down the stretch.

Matas Buzelis played just 17 minutes and shot 2-of-9, including 0-of-4 from deep.

Tyler Herro scored 34 points and made five of his 10 three-pointers for Milwaukee. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double.

It didn't take long for the Bulls to fall into a double-digit hole. Milwaukee consistently gashed Chicago on passes to cutting scorers and three-pointers by players trailing in transition. A 16-6 deficit forced Splitter to call a timeout just over four minutes into the game.

Splitter went to an entirely bench lineup midway through the first, though the Bulls' struggles to shoot the ball remained. Chicago made just one of its 14 three-point attempts in the opening quarter. Contrasted against Milwaukee's 6-of-12 clip from deep, the Bulls trailed by 15 points after one.

Only four minutes into the second quarter, the Bulls had already matched their first-quarter scoring total of 17 points. Three-pointers by Powell, Okoro and Miller helped Chicago cut into the deficit.

The Bulls' bench unit led a roaring comeback in the second, as a 38-19 run resulted in Splitter's squad taking its first lead of the season. Among the most significant plays were triples by Miller, Okoro and Hield, who combined for 25 points in the quarter alone.

Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma made a layup in the final seconds to give Milwaukee a 62-61 halftime lead, but the second quarter marked a significant improvement for the Bulls, who put up 44 points in the period.

Offensive fireworks continued coming out of halftime as both teams made shots. Kuzma, Herro and Ryan Rollins all hit threes for Milwaukee, but Wilson found his rhythm for a pair of triples of his own. The rookie No. 4 overall pick converted on all four of his shot attempts, including a smooth fadeaway jumper, to keep the Bulls close.

In the last minute of the third quarter, Wilson pulled up from three-point range. Buzelis rebounded the miss, then found his fellow young forward on a cut to make it 102-100. After a Jaquez fadeaway, Jalen Smith dunked the ball home with 0.8 seconds remaining and kept the deficit at two entering the fourth.

Milwaukee and Chicago traded blows down the stretch, with Herro providing several crucial makes. As the clock ticked under four minutes, Herro nailed a movement three-pointer while being fouled by Miller. The foul was upgraded to a flagrant, and the four-point play put the Bucks up by two. Milwaukee got the ball and Rollins drew another pair of free throws, which capped off what was ultimately a five-point possession.

In the closing minutes, Splitter went with a lineup that featured Jones, Powell, Okoro, Wilson and Miller, opting to reward several of the bench players who kept Chicago in the game. Smith replaced Miller to add size and shooting.

Wilson lowered his shoulder into Bucks guard Kasparas Jakucionis and was fouled on a transition basket that would've taken the lead. The rookie made both of the ensuing free throws to give his team a 124-123 advantage. He went 2-of-2 from the line on the next possession to extend Chicago's advantage. Jones helped put the game away to secure the 132-125 victory.

The Bulls will host the Washington Wizards in their home opener on Saturday night at 7 p.m. CT.