Chicago Just Played Their Most Revealing Game Of The Season

After a 20-day drought, the Chicago Bulls have finally won a basketball game. Tonight, they snapped a seven-game drought and defeated the Charlotte Hornets 129-126. It took three and a half quarters and some fourth-quarter heroics to do it, off four days’ rest, but they finally broke the streak. While this win isn’t impressive and doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme, it’s nice to get off the prolonged dry spell and back in the W column. Josh Giddey led the way with 26 points, Coby White added 20, and Chicago turned in 29 assists on the night. Despite the stellar performances from the starting backcourt, getting this player back in his groove made all the difference.

Zach Collins Was The MVP

The addition of Zach Collins has made a significant difference for the Bulls. With him in the lineup, head coach Billy Donovan was able to bench Nikola Vucevic for the last five minutes of the third quarter and the entire fourth quarter. He played the second-fewest minutes he has in a game yet this year, with only 21. During that stretch riding the pine, Chicago was +16 and came back to beat the Hornets. Collins, who posted a 16-point, 8-rebound, 1-block line, was a team-best +17 plus/minus for the game. His impact, and allowing Vucevic to take more extended rest periods, was of paramount importance to the Bulls finding their winning ways.

Bulls 129, Hornets 126

Bulls snap 7-game skid, longest since Feb. 2020

7 in doubles, including Isaac Okoro in his return and big shots and plays down stretch from Zach Collins (16 pts, 8 Rebs; plus-17)

Nikola Vucevic (minus-15) didn’t play final 16:58

Knueppel 33 pts

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 13, 2025

Plugging in an active, rim-protecting, efficient center was a night-and-day difference for the youthful Chicago roster. His activity and energy on both ends of the floor provided an apparent reason to part ways with Vucevic before this season’s trade cutoff.

Cut Nikola Vucevic Loose

Zach Collins provides the runway to part ways with the 35-year-old Vucevic. He’s on an expiring contract, has expressed a desire to play on a contending roster, and his performance is rapidly declining for the Bulls. If they can extract any value from him before hitting unrestricted free agency this summer, the time is now. Collins will instantly take his place and alleviate many of the issues this roster has had over the past month.

Vucevic: “You obviously want to be out there as a competitor but Zach and Sticks (Jalen Smith) were playing great. Billy made the call and it was the right call; we won the game.”

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 13, 2025

Is the writing on the wall for Chicago’s big man? Will Arturas Karnisovas capitalize on his declining value before he nets nothing in return?