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Jamal Collier
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls overcame a 24-point deficit, marking the largest comeback victory in the NBA this season, to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers with a decisive 3-pointer from Nikola Vucevic with just 3.2 seconds left, sealing a 113-111 win on Tuesday night.
The Bulls are maintaining one of their fastest starts in franchise history, clinching a game between two top teams in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday. Chicago now stands at 6-1, equaling their best start since the 2021-22 season, the last time they reached the playoffs.
«Tonight was one of the best victories I’ve ever experienced,» Bulls guard Josh Giddey expressed post-game. «Considering how badly we were down early in the third quarter, to pull through and dig ourselves out of that hole was astonishing.»
Giddey topped the team with 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists, achieving his second consecutive triple-double — making him the first Bulls player in franchise history to have back-to-back triple-doubles since Michael Jordan. He commended the team’s response after trailing significantly, highlighting contributions from across the roster.
Vucevic contributed 19 points, 10 rebounds, and six Bulls players scored in double figures.
«Coming back from being down by over 20 and winning is significant, especially against a team like Philly that has been performing well,» Vucevic stated. «It really demonstrated our resilience, belief, and unity.»
The Bulls have triumphed over the Knicks, Sixers, Hawks, Magic, and Pistons, all of which are potential playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference.
However, on Tuesday night, the Sixers dominated a majority of the first half. They held a 45-27 lead after the opening quarter and were ahead by as much as 22 points in the second half. Tyrese Maxey led with 39 points, while Joel Embiid scored 20 points in 25 minutes but was just 1-of-10 in the second half.
«We have confidence,» Vucevic said, «And we recognized that we performed exceedingly poor basketball in the first quarter, particularly defensively. Allowing 45 points with no resistance was unacceptable. … Many of those issues were things we can control and improve upon.»
Chicago narrowed the gap to one point with 14 seconds left in the game, prompting Bulls coach Billy Donovan to call a timeout for the final play setup. Donovan had contemplated letting his team play through the final possession without interruption, but due to Giddey’s turnover while attacking the basket in the previous possession, he opted for a more structured approach.
Nevertheless, Vucevic left the huddle uncertain of how the play was to develop.
«Exiting the timeout, I didn’t quite grasp the last position Billy had me in,» Vucevic mentioned. «So I asked him, ‘Hey coach, where do I go after I set the screen?’ He responded to just head to the corner.»
True to form, Vucevic positioned himself in the corner as Giddey attacked the basket once more, and this time the Bulls guard completed the pass — finding Vucevic for a 3-pointer to give Chicago its first and only lead of the night. While Vucevic was pleased with the victory, he reminded his teammates that they will need to sharpen their performance to sustain the pace from such a rapid start.
«It’s crucial to recognize that falling behind by 20 isn’t a viable route to becoming a good team; we need to start strong,» said Vucevic, the oldest player in his 15th season. «This game exemplified our potential when we execute correctly.
«Hopefully, we can take this as a valuable lesson and realize the necessity of maintaining this effort for 48 minutes.»
