Our Chicago Bulls mounted a valiant near-comeback in what would have been a disastrous victory against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. Thankfully, 11-time All-Star James Harden sealed the deal with some late buckets, snagging a 115-110 dub. The loss allowed Chicago (28-42) to retain the ninth-best Tankathon odds for a top lottery pick, ahead of the miserable Milwaukee Bucks (28-41).
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, head coach Billy Donovan was enthused by his team’s fight. Chicago trailed by as many as 29 points in the third quarter, but pulled within a single point during the waning minutes of the fourth frame.
“They really care, they really want to do well, but we get down too much. We’ve got to get tougher when things aren’t going our way,” Donovan said of the current Bulls roster. “They were encouraging each other to just stay with it and we’re going to have to continue to do that.”
David Banks-Imagn ImagesBulls Bullets — March 20, 2026
BYU Cougars freshman forward AJ Dybantsa, the possible/probable No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, is already out of the NCAA Tournament after a first-round upset. During the Cougars’ 79-71 defeat to the No. 11-seeded Texas Longhorns, Dybantsa scored 35 points on 11-of-25 shooting from the field and 12-of-12 shooting from the foul line, while grabbing 10 rebounds. Dybantsa had been my selection as the top pick in June for my latest mock, but there’s now an opening for Duke power forward Cameron Boozer or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson to supplant him.AJ Dybantsa dropped 35 in what was likely his final college game pic.twitter.com/uBBNsR7dOw
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 20, 2026 Illinois allowed 70 points last night… while scoring 65 in the second half! Shooting guard Keaton Wagler put together a solid 18-point, seven-rebound, seven-assist box score during the Illini’s 105-70 first-round defeat of 14-seed Penn. But freshman forward David Mirkovic was the standout, finishing with a team-most 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor and 3-of-4 free throw shooting from distance, plus 17 boards.Illinois freshman David Mirkovic with a wild stat line in his March Madness debut ?29 PTS | 11-17 FG | 17 REBS pic.twitter.com/ki6CoViMEZ
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 20, 2026 Bulls guard Collin Sexton, along with fellow just-acquired vets Anfernee Simons, Nick Richards and Guerschon Yabusele, is expected to hit free agency this summer. But Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune suggests suggests that it’s at least on the Bulls’ radar.“I know I’m able to adjust to whatever is needed from me,” Sexton said. “I’m ready to take on more challenges. I like to embrace adversity. That’s who I want to be.”
Sexton isn’t the only ill-fitting, soon-to-be-free agent veteran guard the Bulls front office could look to retain this summer, writes Joe Cowley. Restricted free agent guard Jaden Ivey, who’s been out for a month with a lingering knee injury, could still get an offer from Chicago this summer. After arriving in Chicago, Ivey acknowledged he might never be the same player he was prior to a series of catastrophic lower-body injuries last year. Why not let the market dictate his value, and make a determination from there?“I mean, the intention when [we made the trade] is this could be somebody that would be here for a while. How all this plays out with the contract in July and the free agency part of it, understanding he’s restricted, I don’t know,” Donovan said of Jaden Ivey. “But our intention organizationally was, this is a guy we feel could be a very, very good player, and this guy’s got a pretty long runway of being somewhat youthful and young.”
David Banks-Imagn Images Bulls young gun Rob Dillingham, who’ll remain on his rookie-scale deal next season, has shown some flashes this season — but he also struggles to, well, convert point-blank layups. Cowley reports that Dillingham has appreciated getting so much extra run in Chicago.“I’m just thankful for Coach (Billy Donovan), honestly,” Dillingham said. “Giving me that leash, it’s like I’m renewed. I’ve been able to play freely. My mental when I’ve been out on the court has been bad like for the last couple months, so I’m just thankful that I’m able to play, able to add confidence, able to help us win, and really, I’m just thankful to learn and keep growing.”
Tipping off today — just in time for March Madness — six-time champion Chicago Bulls Hall of Fame small forward Scottie Pippen has launched an ad campaign with a delicious new teammate: Mr. Pibb. Pippen takes tongue-in-cheek pot shots at The Last Dance, his reputation as the Robin to Michael Jordan’s Batman and more in a fresh documentary-style spot, “Mr. Pipp.” The 10-time All-Defensive Teamer also celebrates the signature cherry flavor of Mr. Pibb.“Mr. Pibb has always done things its own way, so when they reached out about collaborating on this ad, I was all in. The ‘Scottie Pibben’ alter ego channels the same challenger mentality and edge I brought to the court, and still carry with me today,” the seven-time All-Star reflected in a statement on the campaign. “March Madness is a time when people champion what they love – regardless of the odds – and it felt like the perfect time for fans to crack open a Mr. Pibb, enjoy the games and celebrate doing things their own way. What’s bolder than that?”
© 2026 Mr. Pibb Pippen’s old Hall of Fame head coach, Phil Jackson penned a fun new book with Bulls.com scribe Sam Smith, Masters of the Game: A Conversational History of the NBA in 75 Legendary Players. It’s a breakdown of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, featuring brand-new conversations between Jackson and Smith. Smith recently told Bleacher Nation that he recognized early greatness in Jackson, even during his Albany Patroons days.MORE FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter
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