I know it’s just the Milwaukee Bucks, and I know it wasn’t perfect, but the Chicago Bulls just won their first game of the season, and Caleb Wilson led them to victory.
That is the kind of stuff that gets me hyped.
After a gut-wrenching and morale-killing loss to the Toronto Raptors on opening night, a clutch win against a division rival in the Bucks really does wipe the memory clean. This was the first night of a back-to-back, with an insanely early start time because of the Brewers’ World Series game, and somehow, Chicago put themselves right back at .500 on the season.
The final score of the game was 132-125 and it was a real roller coaster, so let’s break it down.
A Tale of One Half
It was a very weird first half for the Bulls in Milwaukee.
The first quarter looked like a continuation of the Toronto Raptors game. But instead of Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes, it was Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner. Both the Bulls and Bucks, lacking any real offensive identity, were just playing the quarter at an unreasonable pace. And clearly, when the Bulls do that, they’re just flustered.
They were down double digits almost instantly and scored just 17 points in the first quarter. Chicago kept trying to shoot the three even when it wasn’t falling, and the lead kept growing. They went 1-for-14 from behind the arc in that quarter, along with a nearly five-minute scoring drought.
One quarter in.Norman Powell: 7 pts, 2 reb pic.twitter.com/momP9OPZlX
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 23, 2026But in the second quarter, Chicago realized they could actually get better shots if they stepped inside that semi-circle, and it worked. 24 points in the paint and 16 fast-break points were enough for Chicago to finally take a lead, for what felt like the first time this season.
Leonard Miller is taking over, Bulls have the lead. pic.twitter.com/vgUBgoQkBY
— Ross Pins (@chisportsross) October 23, 2026It was the bench mob that made it happen, led by great playmaking from Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro and the expected excellence from Leonard Miller. Even Noa Essengue made a difference in that run.
Norman Powell actually kept the Bulls afloat until they made that comeback and finished the first half with a game-high 19 points, 12 of which came in the second quarter. Not the best efficiency, but not much Powell could’ve done when no one else was doing anything.
Hate what I saw from Josh Giddey in the first half. No offense created, no offense generated. Even Matas was just so passive in that half, and I genuinely disliked some of his closeouts on defense.
Josh Giddey is definitely playing hurt, gotta ask how much is it worth it to play through. pic.twitter.com/NZ6SRnLNM7
— Ross Pins (@chisportsross) October 23, 2026But somehow, the Bulls were down just one at the half, with the momentum firmly on their side.
Norman Powell. Mandatory Credit: Brad Repplinger-Imagn ImagesThe Moment the Bulls Won the Game
The third quarter was whatever. Both teams just exchanging baskets like it was an All-Star game, finishing 42-41 in favor of the Milwaukee Bucks. But it was the quarter where Caleb Wilson got it going, scoring 12 points.
Down just two entering the final frame, the Bulls turned it up, limiting the Bucks to just 19 points. The rotations Tiago Splitter played around with were eye-raising, but they got Chicago the win.
NOA STEAL ➡️ CALEB SLAM.@CHSN__ | @CalebWilson2025 pic.twitter.com/sJp931P5ZC
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 23, 2026No Matas Buzelis in the 4th quarter. No Josh Giddey in the death lineup. Noa Essengue over Zach Collins.
And honestly, I can’t be mad at any of those.
Caleb “I’m built for the moment” Wilson made huge free throws, blocks, steals and baskets when it mattered most, finishing with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. What a way to bounce back from his debut. Caleb is a special talent and just lead Chicago on the floor. Again, considering this is the worst he’ll ever be in his career, excitement is an understatement.
Giddey had one of his better games, but Tre Jones was simply more beneficial to winning tonight, honestly. Josh finished with a +/- of -15, while Jones finished at +24.
Preseason MVP Leonard Miller played in that death lineup and did such a good job as the small-ball five. Myles Turner could not keep up with the speed and agility of Miller, who finished with 19 points on great efficiency off the bench.
Chicago put their foot down in the fourth, leaned on their best performers from the game and used every ounce of momentum to give the Bulls their first win of the 2026 season.
First Bulls Win of the season ? pic.twitter.com/oRfTFdlbhm
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 23, 2026FULL BOX SCORE
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