Bulls Stun Rockets in a Wild Finish at the United Center 132-124

Collin Sexton came off the bench and played like a man who had no interest in easing into the night. He scored 17 points in the first quarter alone, igniting the Bulls with pure downhill force and timely shot-making. By the end of the game, Sexton had 25 points, four rebounds, two assists, and three steals in just 25 minutes.

Chicago also got strong support across the lineup. Buzelis finished with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting and knocked down five 3-pointers. Josh Giddey added 15 points and 13 assists, steering the offense even when his own shot came and went. Tre Jones scored 15, Jalen Smith added 15 off the bench, and Leonard Miller chipped in 17 points and nine rebounds.

This was not a one-man rescue job. The Bulls won because multiple players stepped into the storm.

Rockets Fight Back Behind Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun

Give Houston this much: the Rockets never folded.

After trailing by 17 at halftime, Houston came out in the third quarter with far more force. Kevin Durant started hunting his spots, Alperen Sengun controlled the paint, and the game changed from Chicago’s tempo to Houston’s pressure.

Durant was brilliant, finishing with a game-high 40 points on 15-of-23 shooting. He hit 5 of 10 from deep and scored 15 in the fourth quarter, nearly dragging the Rockets all the way back. Just as impressive, he extended his streak to nine straight games shooting 50% or better from the field, the third-longest such stretch of his career.

Sengun was just as damaging in his own way. He posted 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists while shooting an absurd 16 of 19 from the field. Every time the Bulls looked ready to stabilize, Sengun created another crack. A hook shot here. A pass out of traffic there. A second-chance finish that made Chicago feel the pressure all over again.

Amen Thompson added 23 points, and when Jabari Smith Jr. drilled a 3-pointer with 5:56 remaining, the Rockets had taken the lead. For a Bulls team that had controlled so much of the night, that moment could have broken them.

It didn’t.

Bulls Answer in the Final Minutes

This was where the game stopped being about execution alone and started being about poise.

With the score tied in the final 1:30, the Bulls made the winning plays. Giddey knocked down a big 3. Buzelis answered with one of his own. Jalen Smith buried another. Chicago scored 24 points in the final five minutes, a stunning number in a game that had already twisted in every possible direction.

Then came the signature sequence.

With the score tied late, Buzelis attacked and scored the go-ahead layup with 10.2 seconds remaining. Seconds later, Durant was called for an offensive foul away from the ball, and Rockets coach Ime Udoka was hit with his second technical foul and ejected with 9.1 seconds left. The Bulls calmly added free throws from there and closed the door.

The stat sheet says Chicago outshot Houston from 3-point range 50% to 26.8%. It says the Bulls made 19 threes, handed out 30 assists, and won the rebounding battle 55-50. All of that matters.

But late in the game, what mattered most was that the Bulls didn’t panic.

Bulls Get a Statement Night From Their Young Core

Even in a season that has brought more frustration than momentum, this was the kind of night the Bulls can point to and say: there’s something here.

Buzelis showed fearlessness. Giddey controlled the game as a playmaker. Jalen Smith, despite entering the night questionable because of an ankle injury, gave the Bulls 15 points, six rebounds, and two blocks in 26 minutes. Leonard Miller supplied energy and finishing. Tre Jones played steadily.

No, one win does not erase the bigger picture. The Bulls are still 29-42. They are still chasing consistency that has often slipped through their fingers this season. But this win had something different to it. It had fight. It had shot-making under pressure. It had the emotional swing of a group that could have crumbled and chose not to.

And against a Rockets team that came in at 43-28, that matters.

The Bulls had lost four straight against Houston before Monday night. They were on the edge of letting another one get away. Instead, they stood up in the final seconds and delivered the last blow.

Sometimes that is enough to change the feeling around a team, even if only for a night.

What the Bulls Win Means Going Forward

The Bulls now head to Philadelphia with a little bit of life and a reminder of what their offense can look like when it’s connected. When the ball pops, when the role players hit shots, and when young guys attack without hesitation, Chicago can still be dangerous.

That’s the tease and the frustration of the Bulls’ season. The flashes are real. The closing kick on Monday was real, too.

Against Durant, against Sengun, against a Rockets team that refused to go quietly, the Bulls found enough shot-making, enough toughness, and enough belief to survive.

For one night in Chicago, that was everything.