A competitive loss—that’s what we got last night from the Chicago Bulls in their matchup against the shorthanded OKC Thunder. At halftime, the Bulls trailed by just one, and in the dying moments of the game they were within two possessions of the best team in the NBA. That’s a promising sign, especially considering Chicago was shorthanded as well.
So I’d say let’s enjoy the result from last night, and also take note that the Bulls are still tied with the Memphis Grizzlies in losses. One more “disappointing” result, and Chicago could have top-8 odds at landing the number one pick.
Let’s talk Bulls basketball.
© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images There were two unfortunate developments last night. The first was that the Bulls’ best players on the court were Collin Sexton with 20 points, Guerschon Yabusele with 18, and Nick Richards with a double-double, three players on expiring contracts who may not even be on the team next season. Meanwhile, the young building blocks the Bulls’ future currently relies on were mostly a no-show. Even Josh Giddey’s near triple-double came with four turnovers and poor efficiency.Final from the UC. pic.twitter.com/Q1IkHFNRp1
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 4, 2026 The other unfortunate storyline of the night was the injury scare involving Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. Late in the third quarter, both players were seen limping on separate possessions involving Kenrich Williams. Each appeared to suffer an ankle sprain. Both left the bench and headed to the locker room in visible pain. They later returned to the bench, but only Giddey logged minutes in the fourth quarter. After the game, there was a positive update on both Giddey and Matas. Giddey said his ankle had already undergone treatment and that “it doesn’t feel too bad.” He added that he’ll know more for sure on Wednesday. Giddey has already dealt with the injury bug earlier this season, missing nearly a month and a half with a hamstring strain, so another lower-body issue would not bode well. Matas, on the other hand, hasn’t missed a single game this season, suiting up in all 62 so far. Last year, he played in 80 of 82 games, building a real “Iron Man” résumé. When asked about the ankle injury that kept him from returning to the game, he said:“I don’t think it’s that bad,” said Buzelis. “I hope to play next game. I hate missing games.”
Matas Buzelis exited to the locker room following an injury in the 3rd quarter vs. the Thunder pic.twitter.com/snvj4UXzbG
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) March 4, 2026 On the topic of injury updates, Billy Donovan also provided one on Jaden Ivey, the young guard the Bulls acquired at the trade deadline. He said Ivey is currently “strengthening his leg” and still believes he will play again this season. However, that return won’t come in the next five games, as Ivey will not be joining the team on the upcoming Western Conference road trip. Still, if Donovan’s optimism holds true, his return could come sooner than we realize.Billy Donovan, when asked if he has a better sense of Jaden Ivey's timeline for return — he's repeatedly described his recovery process as "strengthening his leg — Donovan says he still thinks Ivey will play again this year.
— Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) March 3, 2026 The Chicago Bulls do have an agenda when it comes to losing these games—and that’s securing a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. But the closer we get to the draft, the harder it’s becoming to figure out who might actually go first overall, and it’s not because of on-court play. It started with questions surrounding Darryn Peterson’s “love for the game,” and now there’s even a chance that AJ Dybantsa might not declare for the draft at all and instead stay longer in college.“I might not leave college,” said Dybantsa. “My mom wants me to graduate. So I might not leave.”
And then he quickly left the door open by adding:“But I might leave.”
?: t.co/Ez2IfUQj5E“I might not leave college”The projected No. 1 NBA draft pick, @AJ_Dybantsa, just dropped a bombshell on “Deseret Voices.” What’s behind him weighing a return to Provo for another season?Listen to the @BYUMBB star and @mckaycoppins on the full… pic.twitter.com/xIjthCPKHs
— Deseret News (@Deseret) March 3, 2026 In all honesty, most college players do this. Everyone knows they’re likely declaring for the NBA Draft, but right before the conference and NCAA tournaments they avoid saying it outright so they don’t hurt team morale or turn themselves into a distraction when the team needs to stay locked in. Still, there is a world where AJ sticks to what he’s saying. If that happens, it makes it even more important for the Bulls to land a top-7 pick so they can still grab a really strong talent. Down in the G League, former three-time NBA Dunk Contest champion and G League MVP Mac McClung might be on pace for another MVP-caliber season after the month he just had. He averaged 33 points, four assists, and two steals per game for the Windy City Bulls and, as you’d expect, took home G League Player of the Month honors. It’s still pretty astounding that he doesn’t have a real NBA contract. He’s stuck in that strange mold where he’s clearly too good for the G League, but teams still don’t quite see him as an NBA regular.Chicago Bulls two-way player Mac McClung has been named the Kia NBA G League Player of the Month for games played in February. pic.twitter.com/kcAGN2gqm4
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 3, 2026BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter
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