Michael Porter Jr. delivered 33 points and 10 rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets defeated the injury-hit Chicago Bulls 113-103 at United Center.
Brooklyn improved to 5-16 and secured consecutive victories for the first time this season, building on Monday’s win over Charlotte.
Porter followed his 35-point performance earlier in the week by shooting 10-for-20 from the field and 5-for-12 from three, with four of those makes coming after halftime.
His perimeter accuracy stabilized Brooklyn during the third and fourth quarters as Chicago cut the Nets’ lead to five on multiple occasions.
Noah Clowney added 20 points and seven rebounds, with 18 of his points coming in the second half as he attacked gaps in Chicago’s rotations.
Nic Claxton recorded 14 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, anchoring Brooklyn’s defense and linking actions with Porter in pick-and-roll and handoff sets.
Brooklyn shot 49% from the field and went 19-for-46 from three, spacing the floor around Porter’s shot creation and Claxton’s interior screens.
Josh Giddey produced 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season, keeping Chicago in range throughout the night.
The Bulls, however, were held to 42.2% shooting and committed 16 turnovers, repeatedly losing possessions in half-court traps and transition mishaps.
Nikola Vucevic finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds while working against Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe in post matchups.
Ayo Dosunmu added 16 points and tried to push tempo, but Chicago’s lack of depth limited its options.
The Bulls played without seven injured players, including rookie forward Noa Essengue, who will miss the rest of the season after left shoulder surgery.
Brooklyn built a 54-44 halftime lead behind Porter’s early scoring and defensive activity from Claxton, who had three blocks and two steals.
Chicago outscored the Nets 31-29 in the third quarter behind Giddey’s drives and Vucevic’s inside touches, but Brooklyn quickly answered with a 10-2 run to regain control.
Clowney hit three second-half threes and scored through contact in transition, boosting a Nets bench that provided 43 total points.
Chicago’s reserves combined for 24 points and shot 9-for-28, struggling to generate efficient looks against Brooklyn’s length.
Porter closed out the game by hitting a pair of threes over switches as the Nets maintained a steady double-digit margin in the final minutes.
The win gives Brooklyn momentum entering Thursday’s home matchup against Utah, its first back-to-back of the season.
Chicago, now 9-12 and on its fifth straight loss, will attempt to regroup Friday when it hosts Indiana.
