Nikola Vucevic capped a dominant night with a tiebreaking layup in the final seconds as the Chicago Bulls edged the Utah Jazz 128–126 on Wednesday at the United Center.
The veteran center finished with 35 points and five assists, scoring the decisive basket with four seconds left to lift Chicago to 19–21 on the season.
The Bulls leaned heavily on their depth, with five reserves reaching double figures while playing without Josh Giddey, who was sidelined due to a strained left hamstring.
Isaac Okoro added 12 points and played a key role on the final possession, chasing down a missed three and keeping the play alive along the sideline.
Chicago entered the night seeking consistency, and its balanced scoring helped offset uneven stretches on the defensive end in a game that featured 26 ties and 17 lead changes.
Utah nearly stole the game behind a career performance from Brice Sensabaugh, who erupted for 43 points off the bench in the loss.
The Jazz wing carried the offense early and late, even as Utah played without leading scorer Lauri Markkanen due to illness.
Despite trailing by 12 with 5:30 remaining, the Jazz stormed back and tied the game at 126 on Sensabaugh’s layup with 28.5 seconds left.
Coby White missed a potential go-ahead three for Chicago on the ensuing possession, but Okoro recovered the ball and found Tre Jones, who delivered the pass that led to Vucevic’s winning finish.
Keyonte George spearheaded Utah’s rally in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 of his 25 points in the final period.
George had a clean look to win it at the buzzer, but his three-point attempt rimmed out as the Bulls escaped with the victory.
Kyle Filipowski contributed 19 points and seven rebounds for Utah, which was coming off a surprising road win against Cleveland earlier in the week.
Chicago shot 51 percent from the field and made 17 three-pointers, while Utah stayed close by converting 24 of 27 free throws.
The result snapped the Jazz’s momentum and evened the season series after Utah’s 150–147 double-overtime win in the first meeting.
Chicago sits 10th in the Eastern Conference standings, while Utah remains near the bottom of the West at 14–26.
The Jazz visit Dallas on Thursday to open a two-game series, while the Bulls travel to Brooklyn on Friday to start a home-and-home set.
