BREAKING: Bulls edge Hawks again in a nail-biter, 126-123, days after a 152-150 classic. Two games, two thrillers, one clear theme. Chicago is winning the last two minutes. Atlanta is still searching for stops when it matters most.
Another wild finish, same result
This rivalry just found a new gear. Chicago and Atlanta traded punches all night, again. The Bulls made the final winning plays, again. The margin this week is three points. The combined margin across both matchups is five. That is how thin the line is between joy and pain in this series.
The Bulls closed with poise. They executed in half court. They defended without panic. Atlanta had windows, but they could not close them. It is not an accident. It is the pattern.
Two meetings. Two high scoring duels. Chicago controls crunch time, which is deciding the series so far.
Why Chicago keeps winning late
Billy Donovan leaned into clarity. Simple actions, sharp spacing, safe decisions. Chicago hunted the right matchup, then trusted the first good shot. DeMar DeRozan’s midrange threat bends a defense. Zach LaVine’s drive pulls help. Coby White punishes that help with quick catch and shoot threes. Nikola Vucevic is the release valve, screening, slipping, and owning the short roll.
The Bulls are not perfect, but they value the ball. Late, they keep turnovers low. They win the possession game with defensive rebounds and calm inbound sets. They also got to the line at the right moments. You can feel the experience in their huddle. They breathe when the game gets loud.
On defense, Chicago changed coverages just enough to keep Trae Young and Dejounte Murray guessing. They showed two to the ball on a key possession, then switched the next. They loaded the nail, the middle of the floor, to freeze drives. Role players like Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso, when available, matter here. Even when shots fall for Atlanta, those extra beats burn clock and break rhythm.
Chicago’s late game map is simple. Space the floor, trust first reads, and end every trip with a shot or free throws.
Atlanta’s crunch time puzzle
The Hawks can score with anyone. That part is not in doubt. Trae is a deep range trigger. Murray is steady and strong in the middle of the floor. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Jalen Johnson give them pace and punch. The paint touches are there, the threes are there, the tempo is there.
The issue is stops, especially after timeouts. Quin Snyder toggled between drop and switch. Neither solved Chicago’s two star pressure and the Bulls spacing. Drop gave DeRozan and LaVine room to walk into rhythm. Switching put bigs on an island, which opened drives and fouls. When Atlanta tried to help from the corners, the Bulls hit the kickout on time.
Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu battled the glass, but second chance points hurt. One extended possession can decide a game like this. Point of attack defense also cracked late. Simple screens turned into open lanes. That is where Atlanta needs more resistance, more talking, and one early foul to reset the possession.
The small things that swung it
- Chicago secured key defensive rebounds to end long Atlanta trips.
- The Bulls won a short two for one late, stealing an extra look.
- Atlanta had an empty trip after a timeout, a missed chance to tie.
- Free throws, calm and clean, gave Chicago the final edge.
Coaching, rotations, and the culture piece
Donovan trusted a balanced closing group, offense and defense. A smaller look with Vucevic at the five gave space. Coby White’s rise reshapes late possessions, his quick trigger widens the floor. Patrick Williams’ size on the wing helps on switches and boards. When Chicago toggles matchups, they do it with purpose and communication.
Snyder’s choices tell a different story. The Hawks have the personnel to score in waves, yet their late defense is a work in progress. The mix of coverages shows they are searching. A firmer base, even if it is switch with help at the elbows, may cut the bleeding. Atlanta also needs cleaner offense after Chicago sends extra bodies at Trae. Short roll passes to Johnson, quick slot threes to Bogdanovic, and baseline cuts can punish traps.
There is also a mood to these games. The Bulls carry a veteran calm in winning time. They play as if they have been here before, because they have. The Hawks feel close, but a touch hurried. In tight games, body language and pace tell on you. Chicago looks steady. Atlanta looks eager.
What it means next
Two instant classics in one week change the picture. The Bulls now hold a clear matchup edge in clutch moments. That can swing seeding later, and it plants doubt in a possible spring series. Atlanta has time to fix this. The plan is not complex. Clean the glass, lock into one coverage for key trips, and make Chicago beat single coverage before sending help.
The Bulls, meanwhile, have an identity forming. Tough in the half court, patient under pressure, and ruthless at the line. If they keep stacking close wins, confidence grows fast. These teams will see each other again. Circle it. If the first two were any hint, bring extra coffee.
Chicago 126, Atlanta 123. Earlier, Chicago 152, Atlanta 150. Two thrillers, one lesson. In this matchup, poise is power.
