Takeaways & Player Grades: Detroit Pistons 108, Chicago Bulls 93

Despite a solid effort from the banged-up Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons showed why they are the Eastern Conference's top team. Down both Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, their supporting cast still punched the Bulls in the mouth late to secure the 108-93 win.

The game marked the second-lowest scoring effort for the Bulls this season.

3 Takeaways

Some Crazy Lineups

With Coby White, Josh Giddey, Jalen Smith, and Zach Collins each sidelined, Billy Donovan said let's get weird!

As the offense stalled and the Bulls posted only a 24-point first quarter, the head coach turned to some unusual lineups. We first saw a grouping of Tre Jones, Dalen Terry, Julian Phillips, Patrick Williams, and Nikola Vucevic. Then, Dosunmu and rookie Lachlan Olbrich were inserted alongside Terry, Phillips, and Williams. Matas Buzelis eventually checked in for Terry, meaning he was essentially serving as the two-guard and secondary ball-handler.

While it was kind of fun to see Donovan lean into some wacky looks, it sure felt like there wasn't enough offense on the floor to keep up. But I guess that proved to be true for the Detroit Pistons, as well.

While leaning on some of these ragtag lineups, the Bulls saw the Pistons go nearly 4 minutes without a field goal and used this to tie the game at 38-38. Was it all due to the Bulls' defensive effort? I wouldn't go that far, but these units do deserve credit for their hustle and willingness to muck things up. Instead, it was mainly the lack of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren that seemed to make the biggest difference. The Pistons simply looked lost offensively and only managed 22 points in the frame.

Nevertheless, the Pistons held a slim 52-50 lead heading into the locker room, and the Bulls were going to need more of their usual suspects to step up offensively.

Running (Out of Gas) with the Bulls

Speaking of which, the third quarter proved to be a much better offensive showing for Chicago. They opened things up with an alley-oop slam for the high-flying Matas Buzelis to tie things up. Then, Kevin Huerter gave Chicago the lead with a layup off the Duncan Robinson turnover.

By the 8:37 mark, the Bulls had a 14-5 run on the board for a 64-57 lead. Buzelis and Nikola Vucevic drained back-to-back threes, while Tre Jones assisted all but one of the buckets during this go-ahead stretch.

The Bulls' activity in the open floor was also making a real difference. Going up against a Pistons team that averages the second-most fastbreak points a night, it was the Bulls who ended up winning this department on the night, 20-11.

Considering how strong the Pistons have been on the defensive end this season, it was crucial for the Bulls to keep the tempo high and push the PACE. The last thing you want is to get stuck in a halfcourt duel. Detroit has held teams to the second-fewest points per 100 possessions in the halfcourt this season, per Cleaning the Glass. So ... you can probably guess what happened in the fourth quarter!

Just as quickly as the Bulls picked up steam, they lost it in the fourth quarter. Detroit had already cut the Bulls' lead 77-76 by the end of the third, thanks to a 7-2 run in the last minute. They carried this momentum into the final frame and proceeded to outscore Chicago a staggering 32-16. Not only did the Bulls shoot 6-18 from the field, but they also turned the ball over 5+ times against their suffocating defense.

Meanwhile, the Bulls' own defense was a complete disaster. Billy Donovan called multiple timeouts in frustration after breakdowns. Multiple led to thunderous jams for the Pistons that got the Detroit faithful out of their seats.

Isaiah Stewart Dominates

No Jalen Duren. No Problem.

Detroit's physicality continued to be on full display, and the primary reason for that was Isaiah Stewart. The more traditional power forward completely abused the Chicago Bulls' frontcourt from start to finish. The big man ended the evening with 31 points on 14-17 shooting from the field.

More specifically, Stewart was 12-14 from the paint and 5-5 in the restricted area. While he may only stand six-foot-eight, he was more than comfortable clearing space for himself and finishing over the top of Bulls defenders. He made the absence of Jalen Smith and Zach Collins far too obvious.

At the end of the night, the Pistons had a 62-48 advantage in points in the paint and a 49 percent success rate from the field. Stewart was the backbone of that increasingly efficient effort.

Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Lachlan Olbrich of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 7, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Bulls center Lachlan Olbrich (47) battles for a rebound with Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) in the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Ayo Dosunmu – A
Stats: 24 PTS, 3 AST, 1 REB, 1 BLK

The Chicago Bulls needed someone else to step up offensively tonight, and Ayo Dosunmu did just that. He was awesome with a 10-15 shooting display, which included a 4-7 showing from downtown. If he keeps playing like this, the Bulls' phone lines are going to be extra busy as the trade deadline looms.

Matas Buzelis – B+
Stats: 20 PTS, 3 REB, 4 BLK

Matas Buzelis provided a really well-rounded effort. His steady two-way play was a big reason why the Bulls were eventually able to grab a lead. He had 8 points and a steal in Chicago's big third quarter, and he also had an excellent sequence where he blocked a three-point attempt before hustling up the floor and drilling his own three from the corner. Good stuff.

What makes Matas Buzelis special Exhibit W …

(🎥 @CHSN_Bulls)
pic.twitter.com/TH5pyChjOA
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) January 8, 2026

Tre Jones – C+
Stats: 6 PTS, 12 AST, 7 REB

While Tre Jones only shot 1-7 from the field, he did a great job encouraging fast play and setting up his teammates with 12 assists. You also have to respect a six-foot-one guard who rebounds!

Nikola Vucevic – C
Stats: 20 PTS, 16 REB, 4 AST

This was a strange Nikola Vucevic game. On the one hand, he did what he needed to do on the glass against a very good rebounding team, including grabbing 7 offensive rebounds. On the other hand, he shot 9-20 from the field against a relatively undersized frontcourt. Plus, his defensive deficiencies played a big part in Detroit's 62 points in the paint.

Lachlan Olbrich – D+
Stats: 2 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST

Can I give an A for effort? The second-round rookie struggled with the speed and strength of the Detroit frontcourt. He had 5 fouls by the time he checked out in the third quarter.

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