It’s hard to win a basketball game when the ball isn’t falling through the net.
That was clear for the Chicago Bulls in Sunday’s 114-104 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans at the United Center.
The Bulls missed 36 shots from behind the arc in the loss, resulting in a dismal 26.5% clip from deep. This is the latest in an icy stretch of shooting after going 32.6% from behind the arc over the last 10 games — the second-worst in the entire league during that span. The hot-and-cold nature of this team’s shooting efficiency has been a key factor in keeping the Bulls from consistently winning this season.
Isaac Okoro went 1-for-8 from deep and Nikola Vučević went 2-for-6. Most notable was a rare 1-for-10 shooting night from Coby White, who led the Bulls in both attempts and misses from behind the arc.
White said the Bulls planned to take a higher volume of 3-pointers against the Pelicans, who pack the paint and limit opportunities at the rim. And a large bulk of that responsibility fell on White, who was playing in only his eighth game of the season as he continues to battle calf injuries. Despite the result, White — a career 36.8% shooter from behind the arc — expressed confidence in his shot selection against the Pelicans.
“I thought all but maybe two were great looks for me. A lot of them felt good coming off my hand, they were either short or long or in and out. I can’t control whether they go in. If I had to go back, I’d take those same shots again. I’ve just got to continue to work to find that rhythm from 3-point range.”
Coach Billy Donovan agreed. He emphasized the importance of increasing shot volume from higher efficiency players on the team: “If Coby White gets up 10 3-point shots, I’m fine with that.”
And despite the team’s lack of finishing, Donovan felt his players produced a more sustainable style of offense — something the Bulls have sought urgently throughout their free fall over the last three weeks.
“We moved the ball,” Donovan said. “We generated good shots. We’ve got to take those 3s. I thought we did a lot of really good things in terms of ball movement.”
A short streak of efficient shooting — going on an 11-for-24 flurry in the third quarter — powered the Bulls to rip off a 14-0 run and regain a 73-72 lead as the Pelicans failed to score a single point for more than four minutes in the third quarter. But that was fleeting for the Bulls, who were overpowered by the Pelicans bench and several ill-timed second-chance scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter.
It was not the worst offensive night of the season — that still belongs to a 91-point performance against the Golden State Warriors earlier this month. But still, winning didn’t last long for the Bulls, who have lost eight of their last nine games.
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
1. A quiet night from Matas Buzelis.
New Orleans Pelicans’ Herb Jones (2) goes up for a dunk against Chicago Bulls’ Matas Buzelis (14) during the first half on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
The Bulls offense could use a secondary spark — but it still isn’t coming from Matas Buzelis.
The second-year forward took only five shots in the loss to score nine points. Only two other players (Jalen Smith and Zach Collins) took fewer shots than Buzelis, a player the Bulls hope to position as a centerpiece of production for their offense in future seasons. This is his lowest shot attempt production since the second game of the season, when he logged fewer than 13 minutes after fouling out quickly in a win over the Orlando Magic.
Buzelis aims to develop a strong outside shot, but he’s shooting 32.4% from behind the arc this season — and still struggles to create his own shot from outside. Donovan noted that Buzelis played a lower rotation of minutes due to Chicago’s need to put a larger body on Zion Williamson, swapping in Patrick Williams and Isaac Okoro to avoid pulling a trap over to deal with the bigger body in the paint.
2. Dueling bigs
The Bulls continued to experiment with double-big rotations that played Jalen Smith at the four. But coach Billy Donovan did not stick with his closing changes from Friday’s win in Charlotte, when he benched Vučević in favor of Zach Collins down the stretch.
Despite Vučević’s poor shooting night, the Bulls stuck with their starter down the stretch while utilizing forwards to counter Williamson. Collins logged under 12 minutes and Smith logged just under 13 minutes. The pair combined for eight points and two rebounds.
3. A homecoming for Jeremiah Fears.
New Orleans Pelicans’ Jeremiah Fears (0) celebrates with teammates during the second half against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Sunday’s game featured a cheering section for one Pelicans player — rookie Jeremiah Fears, a Joliet native playing in his first hometown game.
Fears played his first two years of high school ball for Joliet West, then transferred to AZ Compass Prep as a junior. His older brother, Jeremy, also played for Joliet West. He immediately drew draft speculation during his solo year in the NCAA playing for Oklahoma, ultimately going No. 7 overall this summer.
The rookie made an impact in front of his local crowd, tallying 20 points and three assists. Fears scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter to clinch the fifth win of the season for the Pelicans.