The Chicago Bulls finally have something to build on. A 125-117 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center ended an eight-game losing streak, moved the Bulls to 2-9, and kept their NBA Cup hopes alive in East Group C.
It was Norman Powell who set the tone when the game tightened, scoring 33 points and nine of them in overtime to carry Chicago through a night that could have slipped away. For a team that had been searching for its second victory of the season, the result felt bigger than the standings line alone.
Powell gives the Bulls the edge
Powell was the difference when the Bulls needed a calm hand. Chicago had already wasted an 18-point edge, and Atlanta’s push forced the game into extra time, but Powell delivered when the pressure was highest.
That matters because the Bulls had been carrying the weight of a long losing streak and a 1-9 start. Tiago Splitter said, “It’s not easy to lose a lot of games,” and the way his team responded in overtime showed how much relief there was in finally closing one out.
What the win means for Chicago
The Bulls were also without Caleb Wilson, who missed his first game with a broken right hand, yet they still found a way to survive a tense finish. Josh Giddey posted 15 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists, helping Chicago produce 34 assists in total, and that ball movement gave them enough structure to keep attacking.
Splitter said Orlando Robinson had been excellent in camp and described him as a positive presence who brought good vibes to the bench. Robinson’s arrival from Windy City on Friday to fill the 15th and final standard-contract roster spot added another layer to a day that ended with a much-needed win.
For now, the bigger picture is still sobering. The Bulls are on pace to win 15 games, which would match the franchise low for a full season set in 2000-01 and sit just above the 13 wins they managed in the lockout-shortened 1988-89 campaign. But this result at least stops the slide, keeps the Bulls in the NBA Cup picture, and gives the locker room some much-needed belief that a reset is still possible.
