3 Takeaways & Player Grades: Buzelis & Giddey Both Banged Up as Bulls Fall to Thunder, 116-108

Is a tanking team allowed to take moral victories?

The Chicago Bulls kept things oddly close with the Oklahoma City Thunder throughout much of the night. The defending champs were ultimately able to pull away for the 116-108 win, but the Bulls were able to take advantage of a few key absences and keep things interesting.

3 Takeaways

Nothing to See Here ...

Once the ball was tipped, you would have assumed both squads came into the night on the backend of a quadruple header. The basketball was about as ugly as your grandma's Easter sweater. Layups were botched, passes were whiffed, shots were air-balled, and Matas Buzelis missed a dunk. That's when you knew things were really off!

For what it's worth, the Oklahoma City Thunder were at least missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Isaiah Hartenstein. But this was still an extremely atypical quarter from their supporting cast. Known for their depth and efficient playmaking on both ends, they looked shockingly erratic.

As for the Bulls, it's hard to call this anything but expected. While there may have been a slight glimmer of hope in their Sunday afternoon victory over the Bucks, their offensive flow was always going to be hard to mimic against OKC's perimeter defense.

The first quarter eventually came to a close with the two teams shooting a combined 15-47 from the field. This included each group going 3-10 from inside the paint. It was bad, folks, but it ultimately worked in the Bulls' favor early on ... or at least Guerschon Yabusele's favor.

Bulls Big Men Do Their Job

With Isaiah Hartenstein on the sideline, the Oklahoma City Thunder were learning on Chet Holmgren and Jaylen Williams at the five. While both had a decent night, particularly Williams, the Bulls' big men still did their part and took advantage of the short-handed unit.

Guerschon Yabusele came out firing. The former Knicks big man stepped up and dragged the Bulls' offense out of the mud. He went 6-11 from the field for 15 points and 8 rebounds in the first half alone. Not only did this tie his second-most points scored in a half in his NBA career, but it marked the most shots he had ever taken in a half.

His aggressiveness both offensively and on the glass was the primary reason Chicago hung around over the first two quarters. Holmgren struggled with his bowling ball frame, while Williams was seemingly off guard with how light on his feet Yabusele could be. At one point, he even took Williams off the bounce and flew right past him for the jam.

It's Guerschon Yabusele's World.

We're just living in it.pic.twitter.com/N018n7HauN
— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) March 4, 2026

The second half belonged to Nick Richards. To be sure, the Thunder would start to pull away over the final two quarters, but the Bulls at least avoided a blowout thanks to Richards' activity. He would help Chicago win the battle on the glass with 13 rebounds, and he also scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half to finish as a +5 on the night.

After watching the Bulls lack physicality and athletic pop in the frontcourt for the last several years, Richards has been a small breath of fresh air. It's part of the reason why I believe the Bulls could look to re-sign him this offseason as a potential long-term backup. He seems to be pretty darn dependable.

Two More Injuries?

The Thunder were able to outscore Chicago by 10 points in the third to give themselves a nice cushion heading into the final frame. Aaron Wiggins and Jared McCain combined for 19 of their 32 points in the quarter, constantly moving one step ahead of the Bulls' defense.

However, what really felt like it officially took the Bulls out of the game was the twisted ankles for Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. The former hobbled his way to the bench with just under a minute to go in the third. Moments later, Buzelis could be seen landing awkwardly on the foot of Kenrich Williams and calling for a sub. He immediately ran back to the locker room.

OKC would proceed to balloon their lead to 93-77. Giddey would attempt to make a return but was eventually yanked again with just under 5 minutes to go. Buzelis would not play at all in the fourth quarter. Would the Bulls have come back and won with these two on the floor? Probably not, but there is no doubt that having them on the floor would have helped.

Billy Donovan said they would know a lot more about the status of both tomorrow morning, but he did classify each injury as an ankle sprain. The good news is that both seemed somewhat optimistic about the severity, though we might as well pencil each in as questionable for Thursday's meeting in Phoenix.

Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Chicago Bulls Josh Giddey — Mar 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) defends against Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Guerschon Yabusele – A
Stats: 18 PTS, 12 PTS, 2 AST, 1 BLK

As mentioned above, the Chicago Bulls aren't in this game for a half without Guerschon Yabusele. He was extremely active on both ends and recorded his third double-double in 10 games with the franchise.

Nick Richards – B+
Stats: 12 PTS, 13 REB, 1 STL

Nick Richards may not be flashy, but he is a reliable post presence who is good for at least one fun above-the-rim moment each night. OKC also shot only 26-47 from inside the paint, and he is at least part of the reason for that inefficiency.

Josh Giddey – B-
Stats: 14 PTS, 9 REB, 9 AST, 2 BLK

Josh Giddey only shot 5-12 from the field, but he did sink a few threes and did record five of his nine assists in the team's strong second quarter. A fantastic night? No. But a decent one considering the competition.

Collin Sexton – C+
Stats: 20 PTS, 2 AST, 1 REB

Collin Sexton had another 20-point night and continued to provide a nice spark off the bench. The only problem is that he didn't provide a whole lot else and still shot just 6-14 from the field. To his credit, though, he is never afraid to put his body on the line and went 5-6 from the charity stripe because of it.

Rob Dillingham – C-
Stats: 6 PTS, 5 AST, 5 REB

Rob Dillingham saw roughly 24 minutes of action tonight after essentially being held out of the rotation on Sunday. While we can't necessarily say he made the most of it with a few sloppy turnovers, he did dish 5 assists and grab 5 rebounds. You can't deny his effort level when he's out there, but his body is still moving too fast for his brain.

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