3 Takeaways & Player Grades: Brooklyn Nets 123, Chicago Bulls 115

For the third time this season, the Brooklyn Nets have taken down the Chicago Bulls. Yes, you read that right.

Their latest 123-116 victory came thanks to an overwhelming size advantage in the post, as well as some very disjointed offense from the Bulls. Let's talk about what went wrong and the very few things that went right.

3 Takeaways

Learning Each Other

Turns out one game isn't enough to build chemistry!

Despite what a 31-point first quarter might suggest, the new Chicago Bulls looked as out of sync as you might expect. To be sure, there was plenty of communication between the unrecognizable group, but nothing can make up for time. It's going to be quite a while before this rotation looks comfortable alongside one another, especially with a floor general like Josh Giddey stuck in street clothes.

Speaking of which, the Bulls' playmaking left a lot to be desired. They quickly found themselves with 10 turnovers through three quarters, meaning they entered the halftime break with just as many mistakes as they did assists. Offense in the second quarter proved to be particularly hard to come by, as Chicago mustered just 23 points on 8-21 shooting from the field. At one point, the Bulls went through a nearly four-minute-long field goal drought as the Nets built a cushion.

Things were also looking very shaky defensively. I know, shocking! Not only were the Nets finding success attacking this smaller frontcourt, but the Bulls' bigs kept hearing whistles. Guerschon Yabusele had to see his first stint end early due to two quick fouls. Then, Nick Richards stacked three fouls over his first two quarters.

Overall, the start served as a reminder of how messy things will look when you make the drastic roster adjustment the Chicago Bulls did. We might as well get used to it.

Size Matters ...

The Brooklyn Nets' frontcourt licked their chops heading into this matchup.

Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney were taking full advantage of their meeting with an undersized rotation on both ends of the floor. Chicago's early struggles to find a rhythm offensively were in large part due to the strength and length of this duo. The Bulls went a mere 13-28 in the paint over the first half. Meanwhile, the Two C's combined for 29 points on 12-16 shooting from the field.

The versatile six-foot-eleven forward Danny Wolf was also a big part of the Bulls' troubles. Matas Buzelis particularly struggled to find a rhythm when the strong wing was on the floor. Wolf really popped, however, during the fourth quarter. After Buzelis drilled a triple to make it 104-102 with 6:25 left to go, Wolf nailed the driving floater. Then, he came up with the steal on the other end and assisted Terance Mann on a three-pointer.

Wolf would nail a transition layup a couple of possessions later before Claxton scored 4 unanswered points of his own. Brooklyn was suddenly up double digits with under 2 minutes to go.

All things considered, this was arguably the smallest the Bulls have looked this season. Brooklyn ended the evening with a +16 advantage in the paint and a 47-39 lead in the rebounding department. They were also a perfect 10-10 in the restricted area over the final 12 minutes of action.

The moment that really said it all is when Claxton was fed the ball with a tear-drop pass in the post during the fourth quarter. He moved a small Collin Sexton out of the way like he was a toddler to retrieve the ball and lay it in. Should there have been a whistle? Probably, but it also shouldn't have been that easy.

Third Quarter Run

If the Chicago Bulls deserve credit for anything, it would be their third quarter adjustment.

Struggling to finish shots over the top of the Nets' frontcourt, they did a much better job putting their head down and initiating contact. The Bulls proceeded to shoot 14 free throw attempts in the frame to surpass the Nets at the charity stripe. Matas Buzelis, Jaden Ivey, and Nick Richards each forced their way to the line twice.

The Bulls were ultimately able to use this swing in momentum to piece together a 16-2 run that tied things up at 89 apiece heading into the fourth. The only problem is that you could tell this more aggressive approach only aided in tiring out the Bulls' newbies. Already trying to condition their bodies to fit Donovan's uptempo style of play, the extra physicality sure didn't help them feel up for the challenge come closing time.

Five Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Rob Dillingham of the Chicago Bulls — Feb 9, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Rob Dillingham (7) goes to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Danny Wolf (2) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Anfernee Simons – B+
Stats: 23 PTS, 7 AST, 3 REB

Anfernee Simons is a professional bucket-getter. The guard shot 10-17 from the field and had one of the craziest three-point makes you will see this season.

ANFERNEE SIMONS HOW!? 🤯

Double-teamed, fading away AND falling out of bounds pic.twitter.com/xrX763G9Cs
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) February 10, 2026

Rob Dillingham – B
Stats: 8 PTS, 7 REB, 2 STL

The smallest player on the court, Rob Dillingham finished as the team's leading rebounder and recorded a career-high in that department. Billy Donovan said they discussed this before the game, and Dillingham immediately stepped up. Add in his fight defensively and a couple of shifty finishes in the halfcourt, and he's making an early case for continued minutes.

Collin Sexton – B-
Stats: 21 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST

Collin Sexton was the most energetic player on the floor, even if it didn't lead to the most efficient scoring performance (7-18). A big reason the Bulls held the lead in the first quarter was because of his downhill assertiveness.

Matas Buzelis – C
Stats: 18 PTS, 4 REB, 2 BLK

Matas Buzelis had a lot of trouble with the Brooklyn Nets' size offensively, but he made up for it at times with a couple of his own incredible blocks on the other end. He even jumped over his own teammate to swat a shot!

Leaped OVER his own teammate for the BL🚫CK.

That was impressive, Matas Buzelis!

Bulls/Nets is LIVE on NBA League Pass... watch here: https://t.co/ZmZQjALF0T pic.twitter.com/8mAgYwbH2c
— NBA (@NBA) February 10, 2026

Jaden Ivey – C
Stats: 13 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL

This felt like a game where Jaden Ivey could have done slightly more damage off the bounce with his stronger build. Speaking of which, I know there are a lot of guards on this roster, but I want to see him putting up more than 8 shot attempts. If the plan is to keep him around long-term, uplifting him a little more offensively is key.