Without Star Power, The Bulls Find Ways to Win Over Pelicans Amid Injury Crisis

After being brutally defeated by Minnesota, with Josh Giddey and Coby White limping off with injuries, Billy Donovan said the Chicago Bulls needed to respond at a higher level amid hardship. On Wednesday night, before the advent of Year 2026, the Bulls responded and navigated ways to win without star power.

The Chicago Bulls, playing without the aforementioned backcourt duo and Zach Collins, faced a legitimate test of their depth against the New Orleans Pelicans and passed it 134-118 with flying colors to close out 2025.

“I think (the win) was a good step, considering the fact that we had to adjust quickly with those three guys being out relatively at the same time,” Donovan said postgame.

No Giddey? No White? No problem. The remaining starters shouldered more offensive responsibility. Beyond Nikola Vucevic's 16-point consistency, Matas Buzelis found his rhythm with more ball-handling. The sophomore scored 17 points, attacking the rim proactively and pulling up from three with newfound confidence. His aggressive mindset set the tone early and kept Chicago ahead throughout the game.

But the most surprising performance came from Isaac Okoro. Known primarily as a defensive stalwart, Okoro led the Bulls with 24 points, showcasing his hidden offensive versatility with smart cutting buckets and catch-and-shoot threes. 

“(When) you’re not necessarily an offensive priority. You have to find ways when you’re getting cross-matched and putting different people on you,” said Donovan, who mentioned Okoro played with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland with remarkable offensive traits, while concentrating on defense as the Cleveland Cavaliers told him to. But against the Pelicans, his two-way impact proved invaluable when Chicago needed more firepower.

“He knows how to make himself a good offensive player. He's worked really hard in the shooting, and his shooting has gotten better. But the other thing about him is that he's a great screener, and he's really good when he plays in the pocket rolls…I think a lot of times when you're in the situation, in the role that he was responsible for in Cleveland, he just accepts it and will do whatever is best for the team. And I think that's what his mentality was. I don't think he's not a guy that could not score,” Donovan said.

The "strength in numbers" motto resurfaced in full force. Eight Bulls scored in double figures while conducting 33 assists and committing only eight turnovers — a season low. The Bulls had repeatedly stressed their reliance on bench depth, ranked second in the league in scoring, to survive without White and Giddey. The New Year's Eve victory proved they could execute that identity without star power.

Meanwhile, Tre Jones delivered a historic performance in his start replacing White. He scored 20 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting while dishing 12 assists with just one turnover, becoming the first Bull in franchise history to shoot 100% with such a stat line. Jones, acquired midseason last year, has increased his value with every strong performance. When starting for Chicago, he averages 14.3 points, 6.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds. In 12 starts this season, the Bulls have won seven.

“He's like a real, real…true lead point guard,” Donovan said. “I think he knows when the game needs to be pushed, he knows when it needs to be slowed down a little bit. He can recognize matchups, who's guarding and what things to get in and out of. And he's a really good communicator.”

Donovan also made a key adjustment by starting Jalen Smith alongside Vucevic, maintaining the two-big lineup despite Collins' absence. Donovan said the team will be “more flexible” in the lineup moving forward, acknowledging the positive results in the last few games when he deployed Smith with Vucevic and Collins as two-big.

“When you start going into the center spot from a perimeter spot, (there will be) a lot of changes,” Donovan said. “(Smith) has handled it pretty well and given us flexibility to play with (Vucevic and Collins) together.”

In his first start of the season, Smith completed the task convincingly with 14 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks. His size and coverage allowed Donovan to occasionally play him as a lone big with four ball-handlers on Wednesday night while still protecting the paint effectively.

All the highs combined into a harmony. To solidly transition through the tough time until the main forces return, the Bulls had to stick with that formula.