By Townhall Chicago News Staff
Rookie Caleb Wilson scored 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds Saturday night at the United Center, but the Chicago Bulls fell to the Washington Wizards 124-120 in their 2026-27 home opener.
The loss dropped the Bulls to 1-2 on the young season despite a furious late rally that saw Chicago cut a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to just four in the closing seconds.
Wilson’s 30-point, 14-rebound performance marked his first career double-double. He now has the most points in three games as a Bulls rookie since Michael Jordan, according to the team’s website.
“It’s good to know the character of the guys we have on the team,” Wilson said after the game, according to the Bulls’ website.
The Bulls built an early 24-14 lead behind strong starts from Wilson, Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey. Chicago carried a 62-57 advantage into halftime.
The third quarter proved devastating. Washington outscored the Bulls 40-20 in the period, with Wizards players repeatedly beating Bulls defenders off the dribble for layups and dunks. Washington shot 65 percent in the quarter and built a 21-point lead heading into the fourth.
“We put ourselves in that position ourselves,” Wilson said, according to the Bulls’ website. “So I wouldn’t say I’d give… a moral victory, but I feel like it shows we have fight.”
The comeback bid started with just over two minutes remaining. Norman Powell, Buzelis and others converted five consecutive possessions with either three-pointers or three-point plays. A Buzelis three-pointer with 23.3 seconds left pulled the Bulls within a single possession, but Chicago could not complete the rally.
Powell finished with 18 points. Buzelis added 21. Giddey had nine points and 10 assists without a turnover. Jalen Smith contributed 14 points and Tre Jones scored 10 off the bench.
Trae Young led the Wizards with 25 points. Anthony Davis added 17. Washington won the rebounding battle, collecting 12 offensive rebounds for 21 second-chance points and scoring 62 points in the paint.
Head coach Tiago Splitter pointed to the size mismatch as a challenge the Bulls will face regularly.
“We fought; that’s the positive part of the game. We fought to the end,” Splitter said, according to the Bulls’ website. “But they were able to close the game.”
Splitter acknowledged the team’s 28 percent three-point shooting remains a concern but expressed confidence in his young players’ development.
“I want them to shoot the ball,” Splitter said, according to the Bulls’ website. “They can shoot. Part of their development is you are open, you got to shoot it.”
The Bulls face a difficult stretch ahead, with seven consecutive games starting Monday in Boston against opponents considered among the NBA’s best, including Philadelphia, San Antonio and the defending champion New York Knicks.
“Day by day. Every matchup is its own thing,” Wilson said, according to the Bulls’ website. “I feel like as a team we’re really well rounded. I like us.”
