Josh Giddey didn’t count the Chicago Bulls out.
Not when they slumped into a 24-point deficit in the opening quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers. Or when that lead remained stubbornly in the double digits. And no, not even on the second-to-last offensive possession of the game, when Giddey forced his way downhill only to toss the ball into the hands of 76ers center Joel Embiid.
With 14 seconds left in Tuesday’s 113-111 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Bulls had not led for a single moment of the game. That didn’t matter to Giddey either. He had the ball in his hands and a fresh play design from coach Billy Donovan. In comparison, a one-point deficit seemed like nothing.
The only thing left for Giddey to do was follow the formula — put his head down, set course for the rim, slingshot the ball to Nikola Vučević in the corner, wait for the sound of the ball snapping through the net.
The Bulls just aren’t going away. It doesn’t matter if they’re missing their leading scorer. Or if they dig themselves into a 24-point hole. And after Tuesday’s win, the Bulls are back on top of the East with a 6-1 record — all without previous leading scorer Coby White in the rotation.
For the Bulls, it’s all coming down to luck and guts and a refusal to be counted out of any game.
Red Panda makes her return to the NBA court during Chicago Bulls game
“Tonight was one of the best wins that I’ve ever been a part of,” Giddey said. “To gut that one out and dig ourselves out of the hole that we did was unbelievable.”
The win punctuated another herculean effort from Giddey, who finished with 29 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. This is the first time a Bulls player has recorded back-to-back triple-doubles since Michael Jordan accomplished the feat in 1989.
This is the 20th triple-double of Giddey’s young career. The guard isn’t one to bask in his own accomplishments, typically shrugging off questions after triple-doubles and other stat-stuffed performances. But after matching a Jordan accolade, Giddey had to accept a little praise.
“That’s cool,” Giddey said with a grin. “I’m not going to sit here and lie about it and say it’s not cool.”
Still, Giddey — as always — was quick to deflect his success back to the bigger picture.
“I think all the individual stuff comes as a byproduct of winning and being a part of a very, very fun team to play with,” the guard said. “I’m grateful that I’ve got teammates and coaches that allow me to be in positions to be successful.”
Here are four more takeaways from the win.
1. Vučević won the battle of the bigs.
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević (9) celebrates after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in the second half of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 4, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The Bulls don’t win this game without Vučević — and that statement extends far beyond the game-winning shot.
The most important contribution Vučević can make in any game against the 76ers involves his defense against Joel Embiid. The center has been limited throughout the start of the season. On Tuesday, the 76ers played Embiid for 20 minutes before pulling him early in the third quarter for a lengthy break.
The Bulls chipped the deficit down to seven points while Embiid sat on the bench. When the center re-entered for the final five minutes and 39 seconds of the game, Vučević managed to keep Embiid out of the game despite his presence on the hardwood.
Embiid was already out of rhythm, showing glimpses of a newfound timidity that has recently hounded his play. Vučević took advantage, slapping the ball out of his hands for one turnover and poking away another one several plays later. Embiid did not score a single point in the fourth quarter, going 0-for-5 from the floor. In contrast, Vučević netted nine points — including the game-winner — in the final frame.
2. The Bulls had a miserable start.
The Bulls couldn’t draw up a worse start than their opening quarter against Philadelphia.
It didn’t help that the 76ers forgot how to miss, going 8-for-11 from 3-point range in the first frame. The Bulls made only two 3-pointers in the same span, offering little resistance in return. By the end of the first quarter, the Bulls were stuck in the shadow of a 45-27 deficit.
Photos: Chicago Bulls beat the Philadelphia 76ers 113-111
But it wasn’t just the shooting. The 76ers embraced their roles as pests on defense, swarming at the point of attack with a handsy style of aggression. In response, the Bulls melted into passivity on both sides of the ball. They coughed up turnovers and allowed the 76ers to secure nine offensive boards in the first half.
Donovan pulled Matas Buzelis off the court twice in the first quarter alone. The second-year forward struggled to stay in front of his defensive assignments and allowed himself to be manhandled on offense by Kelly Oubre Jr. Buzelis and fellow forward Patrick Williams failed to grab a single rebound in the first half, a reflection of Chicago’s complete lack of physicality at the start of the game.
3. Like flipping a switch.
Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) and his teammate Josh Giddey (background) look to secure a rebound in the second half of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 4, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
After spending the first half getting walked up and down the court, the Bulls entered the second half with an urgency. They won the offensive (9-3) and the defensive (24-12) boards and forced 15 points off nine Philadelphia turnovers. Most importantly, the Bulls took control of the game’s tempo, outscoring Philadelphia in the fast break (19-7). Simultaneously, the 76ers lost their rhythm at the perimeter, going 3-for-19 from 3-point range in the final three quarters of the game.
The 76ers did not score a single field goal in the final 6:26 of the game. They shot 4-for-22 from the floor in that span and missed all six of their attempts from 3-point range. This sudden shift in accuracy — and, perhaps, luck — swung the game back into favor for the Bulls.
Donovan struggled to relish the win after watching the meltdown of the first quarter — but the second half offered evidence of how the Bulls can control competition through marginal gains on the glass and in the open court.
“We just don’t have the luxury to not invest for the full 48 minutes on the physicality,” Donovan said. “I’m really happy that they were able to win and proud of how they played. But we’re not going to be a very good team if we just try to rely on running down the floor and shooting the ball and trying to get downhill. That’s part of the iteration to this group — we’ve got to be more physical.”
4. Isaac Okoro found his groove.
Chicago Bulls forward/guard Isaac Okoro (35) celebrates after scoring off a steal in the first half of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 4, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
While Vučević battled to contain Embiid, forward Isaac Okoro tackled an equally demanding assignment — slowing down Tyrese Maxey, who leads the 76ers in scoring this season.
Maxey tore apart the Bulls defense in the first quarter, racking up 12 points and four assists. The Bulls initially assigned Tre Jones to Maxey in an effort to preempt cross-matching, but after this first-quarter flurry, Donovan switched Okoro onto the guard as a primary defender. The Bulls took a further step into a prevent defense in the second half, with Okoro picking up full court and working overtime to keep the ball out of Maxey’s hands.
The effort only went so far — Maxey still finished with 39 points on 14-for-26 shooting from the floor while going 6-for-10 from 3-point range. But he managed only 17 points in the second half and was held to 2-for-8 shooting from the floor in the fourth quarter, a crucial cornerstone of the Bulls’ comeback.