Tonight’s game versus the Portland Trail Blazers looked like the same story on a different night. The Bulls controlled the contest the entire way, blew a 21-point lead, fell behind late in the fourth quarter, and appeared to be on the verge of letting another winnable matchup slip away. With under one minute left and trailing by four, Coby White drilled a miraculous deep three-point attempt. Chicago fouled immediately, and after a missed free-throw by Jerami Grant with 8.2 seconds left, they trailed by two. White penetrated to the rim, kicked a pass out to Vucevic with one second remaining, and “Vucci Mane strikes again, BANG BANG BANG!!!” goes Stacey King via the Chicago Sports Network broadcast.
Vucevic Has Ice In His Veins
This is not the first time Chicago’s big man has bailed them out late and saved the day. Just two days prior, he hit a clutch three against the Denver Nuggets to extend their lead and clinch the game. He also nailed a go-ahead three-point basket against Philadelphia with under four seconds remaining. Through the first portion of the year, he’s been the most dependable and clutch player on the roster.
Vooch AGAIN!
Nikola Vucevic with the three at the buzzer to save the day. Bulls had a 21-pt lead with 9.5 minutes to go, went down 4 and somehow found a way.
Bulls win 122-121 pic.twitter.com/I6SV4xMExF
— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) November 20, 2025
Vucevic is genuinely having a revival season. At age 35, he’s averaging 15.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, and has several clutch moments already. Even though he’s on an expiring contract and the Bulls are on the verge of a rebuild, it won’t be a surprise if they keep him around beyond February’s trade deadline.
Coby White Already Proving To Be ‘The Guy’
The Bulls finally got their offensive leader back on Sunday afternoon. Coby White played his first contest of the season in Utah, and his second tonight in Portland. Although he’s on a minutes restriction and currently coming off the bench, his impact down the stretch of games is already proving irreplaceable. Against the Jazz, he scored the bucket that forced double overtime. In the fourth quarter and overtime of his first two outings, he’s posted 14 points and tonight’s game-winning assist in limited action. When he’s fully unleashed, he will be running the show down the stretch of tight battles.
Coby White in his first two games:
27 PTS | 8 AST | 3 3P
25 PTS | 6 AST | 5 3P
Leading all bench players in PPG. pic.twitter.com/RYqz38HbNW
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 20, 2025
After a huge sigh of relief from Bulls nation, Chicago leaves the West Coast trip 2-1 and 8-6 on the year. They’re well ahead of schedule from any postseason predictions and outpacing any expectations coming into the 2025-26 campaign. How far can this group go?