🧨 “It Starts With This One…” — Bulls Shock Detroit in a Wild Season Opener Nobody Saw Coming.P1

Chicago basketball might just be fun again.

On Opening Night, the Bulls didn’t just survive — they announced themselves. A 115–111 victory over the Detroit Pistons wasn’t perfect, wasn’t polished, but it was everything fans have been waiting to feel again: energy, grit, and belief.

Nikola Vucevic looked like a man possessed, bullying Detroit’s frontcourt for 28 points and 14 rebounds — his most commanding performance in months. Every possession ran through him, and for once, it worked. His patience in the post and touch around the rim set the tone for a team desperate to prove it still belongs in the Eastern Conference conversation.

But it wasn’t just the veterans. Rookie sensation Matas Buzelis — Chicago’s newest hometown hope — delivered 21 points, 6 rebounds, and three monster blocks that lit up the United Center. His swagger was unmistakable. His confidence, undeniable. It wasn’t just a debut — it was a statement.

Josh Giddey, making his first start as a Bull, flirted with a triple-double: 19 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds. His playmaking gave Chicago something it has sorely lacked in recent years — rhythm. The ball moved. The pace was quicker. And for the first time in what feels like forever, the offense didn’t rely on isolation and frustration.

Kevin Huerter added 15 points, including a clutch three in the final minute that silenced the Pistons’ late rally. Ayo Dosunmu and Tyus Jones combined for 26 points and 13 assists, controlling tempo and keeping Detroit at bay when things got messy.

Still, it wasn’t smooth sailing. Detroit came to play. Cade Cunningham dropped bucket after bucket, keeping the Pistons within striking distance deep into the fourth. When Jalen Duren slammed home a dunk to cut the lead to two, you could feel that familiar Chicago tension creeping in — the one that’s haunted this team for seasons.

But this time, the Bulls didn’t fold.

Buzelis hit a midrange jumper, Vucevic grabbed a critical offensive rebound, and Giddey iced the game with two free throws. Final score: 115–111.

As the buzzer sounded, the message was clear — this isn’t last year’s Bulls.

There’s something new brewing in Chicago. Something raw, unpredictable, maybe even a little chaotic. But it’s alive. The combination of youth and veteran steadiness finally feels balanced, and head coach Billy Donovan might have stumbled into a formula that actually works: let the kids run, let the vets anchor, and trust the chemistry to build itself.

The United Center crowd felt it too. When Buzelis blocked a shot into the stands midway through the third quarter, fans roared. When Vucevic hit a turnaround jumper over Duren, they rose. And when the clock hit zero, the chants of “Let’s go Bulls!” carried like it was 2011 again.

It’s only one game. One win. But it matters.

Because for a franchise stuck in mediocrity and endless “rebuild talk,” this opener wasn’t just a good start — it was a heartbeat. A reminder that the Bulls can still excite, still surprise, still fight.

They’re 1–0.
The rook looks real.
The vets look hungry.
And Chicago — for the first time in a long time — looks ready to believe again.

BIG WIN TO START THE SEASON. YOUR CHICAGO BULLS ARE BACK.