The Chicago Bulls battled hard, but were ultimately overcome by the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
The Chicago Bulls fall to the Detroit Pistons 108-93.
Engine Misfire
Jan 7, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan argues with referee Michael Smith (38) during a timeout against the Detroit Pistons in the second quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn ImagesCredit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
From the opening tip, it was clear the team that controlled the paint would come out on top. Detroit wasted no time establishing their game plan. Isaiah Stewart—who ultimately delivered a career-best performance—set the tone early, dominating Chicago inside. He poured in 11 of his 31 points in the first quarter alone, repeatedly attacking Nikola Vucevic and facing little-to-no resistance.
With both teams being shorthanded, this game was always going to be a war of attrition. The Pistons have become known this season for their rugged style of play, and the Bulls? Well — the Bulls are still trying to form an identity of their own.
To their credit, though, when healthy — Chicago has started using the size on its team much more, implementing the “Double-Big” strategy. With big men Jalen Smith and Zach Collins both being out with injuries, though, Chicago stood no chance against the relentless physical play of Detroit. While they battled hard, they ultimately ran out of gas in the fourth quarter, and the rest was history.
Story continues below.
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Check Engine Light(s)
Jan 7, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) tries to drive to the basket against Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) in the second quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn ImagesCredit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
It’s no secret: this Bulls roster has glaring holes and a lack of cohesion. Those flaws were on full display in this loss. Nikola Vucevic stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists. His struggles protecting the rim proved costly, though. That defensive void became the runway for Isaiah Stewart’s monster night and was ultimately the Achilles’ heel Chicago couldn’t overcome.
“In the end, we didn’t sustain the physicality we needed to win this game”, Vucevic told Chicago Bulls’ reporter K.C. Johnson during their postgame interview. He’s right, and he contributes to that sentiment on a nightly basis. According to Stacey King, going into halftime, Vucevic took his aggression out on a chair on the Bulls’ bench. Save that energy and aggression for your opponents, Vuc.
It’s not all on Vuc though. Outside of productive performances from guys like Ayo Dosunmu (24 pts), Matas Buzelis (20 pts) and Tre Jones (6 pts, 7 rebs, 12 asts) — the Bulls just didn’t have enough in this one.
Curiously, Chicago actually won the battle on the boards, outrebounding Detroit 45-39. That margin was fueled largely by Vucevic’s 16 rebounds, with the rest of the team chipping in by committee. An encouraging sign for a roster missing so much of its interior presence. The eventual returns of Josh Giddey, Jalen Smith, and Zach Collins should supercharge those rebounding numbers.
Still, the Bulls’ Achilles’ heel remains their porous defense, particularly at the rim. Until that gets fixed, the check engine light on this vehicle that is the Chicago Bulls will keep blinking until the whole thing inevitably blows up.
Spark Plugs
Jan 7, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) pulls up to shoot the ball over Detroit Pistons guard Javonte Green (31) in the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn ImagesCredit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
As stated above, even though Chicago ultimately lost the game, there were encouraging signs. Matas Buzelis continued his streak of great games. He has continued to expand his bag and show the full versatility of his game. It will be interesting to see how that is optimized when the team is fully healthy.
Tre Jones continues to step up as well, setting the floor nicely. He connected with Buzelis for a few highlight dunks:
Ayo Dosunmu continued to show his importance as well. This team will be cooking when they are healthy again, but there are still moves to be made.
What’s On Tap Next?
The Bulls turn right back around to face the Miami Heat, at home. The game will be played at The United Center and will start at 7:00 p.m. CT.
See you there.
And as always … See Red.