A lot of people may fail their New Year’s resolution in the first week, but the Bulls aren’t one of them.
After the Bulls closed out 2025 with a win over the Pelicans, it felt like all’s well that ends well. But now they’ve also started 2026 on the right foot, taking down the Orlando Magic tonight. Chicago has been thriving on chemistry and momentum, climbing back to a .500 record.
But more importantly, this stretch has opened doors for the right players to flourish. Jalen Smith, Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams, and most of all, Matas Buzelis, all played major roles in this win. And you get the sense that Josh Giddey and Coby White will be excited to return to a team that’s growing, evolving, and taking real steps forward without them.
BULLS WIN.BULLS WIN.BULLS WIN.BULLS WIN.BULLS WIN.pic.twitter.com/EB2f5TZ7gY
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 3, 2026First Half: You Run, I Run, We All Run
Tie up those laces, because we’re ready to run. The Bulls and Magic matchup opened with nothing but pure offensive bursts. Orlando struck first, jumping out to a 14–4 lead and putting the home team in an early 10-point hole. Then the Chicago bench checked in and answered with a 10–0 run of their own, pulling things back to even.
But Orlando wasn’t done. They punched right back with another 14–0 stretch, as both teams had silently agreed that only one of them was allowed to score at a time. The Magic carried a 32–22 lead into the second quarter, fueled by Paolo Banchero’s 11 first-quarter points. He’s rounding into form at just the right time, which was unfortunate for the Bulls.
The “only-one-team-scores” deal definitely carried into the second quarter, and this time, Chicago cashed in. The Bulls opened on a 14–5 run, punctuated by a thunderous Matas Buzelis poster that clearly made Stacey King feel some type of way.
DUNK OF THE YEAR??? pic.twitter.com/8fbp73AZjW
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 3, 2026Billy Donovan rolled with depth, playing ten of his eleven guys in the half, and it paid off. Patrick Williams went a perfect 3-for-3 from deep, Ayo Dosunmu added 11 points with 4 assists and 2 boards, and the bench, as usual, kept landing the heavy shots on Orlando.
The Bulls were going up against a top-10 defense in the NBA and still managed to keep Orlando at arm’s length. Whenever Chicago needs to stay competitive, the formula is simple: bench production and points in the paint. In the first half, they owned both categories, an eight-point edge inside, a 13-point advantage off the bench, and a 37-point second quarter that pulled them even.They headed into halftime tied at 59.
Chicago Bulls Player of the Half: Ayo Dosunmu — 11 points, 4 assists, 5-of-6 from the field, and a team-best +15.
Tie ball game at the UC.Ayo Dosunmu: 11 pt (5-6 FG), 4 ast pic.twitter.com/7ThIoStAfW
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 3, 2026Second Half: The Matas Buzelis Breakout
This is where the tug-of-war really began. Both teams kept trading buckets, refusing to let the lead stretch too far either way. Matas Buzelis was everywhere, crashing for second-chance points, finishing through contact, and moving the ball better than he ever has.
With 7:30 left in the third, he’d already recorded his sixth assist, tying his career high. Since sliding over to small forward, his play has clearly taken a leap. Now it was just a matter of Chicago finding the right combination to finally create some separation from the Magic.
But there were no cracks in the spell. The game kept flowing back and forth, filled with ties and lead changes, until the Bulls and Magic were separated by just four points heading into the final frame.
Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got ourselves a ballgame.
No matter who’s on the bench for Chicago, the reliability factor never seems to change. Kevin Huerter quietly piled up 20 points, cutting to the rim and knocking down the shots that come naturally to him. Julian Phillips, a guy who doesn’t always get big minutes, delivered a few momentum-swinging plays of his own: a block, a three, and a poster dunk that sent the United Center into a frenzy.
HEADTAPS ???@ju1ianphillips | @CHSN__ pic.twitter.com/0P1O6Ssf3O
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 3, 2026Then Paolo Banchero missed a layup and followed it by bricking both free throws, gifting the crowd free hot dogs. The United Center only got louder from there. Chicago was outscoring the Magic 22–11 in the quarter.
The Cardiac Bulls have lived in clutch moments before, and thrived, but suddenly things started slipping. Buzelis and Williams, who had both been terrific all night, began settling for unnecessary deep shots and, of course, watching them clang off the rim. Paolo Banchero, meanwhile, took whatever he wanted to keep Orlando hanging around.
At one point, Matas nearly undid all of his hard work on a shaky possession, looking close to traveling on a rushed attempt, but he managed to shovel the ball out to Tre Jones. Jones hadn’t been playing well to that point; honestly, and I was wondering why he was out there instead of Dosunmu. But he caught the ball in a tough spot, at a tough time, with Chicago desperately needing a bucket, and he buried it.
Tre Jones in the clutch! @Tre3Jones | @CHSN__ pic.twitter.com/LvCuxQyX33
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 3, 2026From there, it turned into a game of keep away until Isaac Okoro sealed it with a final dunk, which was the exclamation point that closed the door.
Bulls win, 121–114. A two-game win streak without Josh Giddey and Coby White. Absolutely insane.
Chicago Bulls Player of the Night: Matas Buzelis
Matas wrapped the night with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, a steal, two blocks, and the dunk of the night.
“We have enough in this room to win,” Buzelis said afterward, clearly soaking in the moment.
Numbers to Remember
Player of the Game Matas Buzelis capped the night with a career-high seven assists. With no Giddey or White, there were plenty of playmaking duties up for grabs, and the kid from Chicago stepped up and claimed them.Buzelis has career-high 7 assists
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 3, 2026 As usual, the Bulls dominated the bench battle, outscoring Orlando 57–27. Kevin Huerter led the charge with his fourth 20-point outing of the season, while Patrick Williams added 16, just his second game this year with 15 or more. Ayo Dosunmu was a close second for Player of the Game in my book. He finished with the highest plus/minus on the team, scored 17 points on impressive efficiency, and dished out 7 assists, enough to push him past 1,000 career assists on the night.1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ assists for Ayo!Shout out to Dos for becoming the 30th player in franchise history to reach 1000 assists!@AyoDos_11 | @ConstellationEG pic.twitter.com/HdC8iKsVFD
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 3, 2026 Neither of the Jones brothers, Tre or Tyus, had a big night statistically. But the younger brother delivered the moment that mattered, hitting the crucial bucket that gave him just his third win in their all-time head-to-head meetings. Tyus still leads the series, 12–3. Jalen Smith recorded another double-double in just his second start of the season for Chicago. The night also marked his 300th career regular-season appearance.2nd straight double double as starter for Jalen Smith
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 3, 2026 © Kamil Krzaczynski – Imagn ImagesFull Box Score
Hence then, the article about he s there when it matas bulls 121 magic 114 january 2 2026 was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( He’s There When It Matas! Bulls 121, Magic 114 – January 2, 2026 )
Also on site :