Takeaways & Player Grades: Chicago Bulls 125, Dallas Mavericks 107

In their first meeting against 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, the Chicago Bulls came out on top!

The team looked one step ahead of the banged-up Mavs all night long, dominating them in transition and taking repeated advantage of extra possessions. All things considered, it was a much-needed 125-107 win for a team that has dropped three-straight and started to look lost on the offensive end.

3 Takeaways

A Rare Hot Start ...

The Dallas Mavericks entered the night with the third-worst offensive rating in the NBA. For a Bulls team that has made this side of the ball its bread-and-butter all season long, it felt like establishing itself on this end from the jump would be the key to success. To their credit, they did that.

By the time the first quarter came to a close, the Bulls held a 12-0 advantage in fastbreak points. They were dominating the Mavericks in the open floor and playing with a level of energy that proved to be hard to stop. Even with Dallas starting the night better than expected from behind the arc, Chicago's efficiency and hustle made a significant difference. They were even taking full advantage of the Mavs' depleted frontcourt on the offensive glass, capitalizing on several second-chance opportunities.

By the time the first quarter came to a close, the Bulls had posted 36 points and tied their fourth-highest scoring first quarter of the season. The Mavericks only mustered 28 points behind an alarming 3-10 success rate from inside the paint. While they may have been able to keep up from behind the arc in uncharacteristic fashion (they have ranked third-to-last all season in three-point efficiency), they were still fighting an uphill battle to start this game.

Fast and Unselfish

Once the Chicago Bulls realized how effective they could be in the open floor, they doubled down. They were remarkably effective in the fastbreak, outrunning the Mavericks at every chance they got. By the time the final buzzer sounded, they finished with a 38-8 advantage in fastbreak points. This marked a season high in that category, with the previous best sitting at 31 points against the 76ers on November 4.

The Bulls were also able to tap back into their equal-opportunity system that worked so well throughout the early portion of this season. They finished the night with seven players in double figures. All starters had at least 13 points, while Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter were the two bench pieces to finish in double figures.

As good a job as the starters did at moving the ball, it honestly felt like Ayo Dosunmu was the catalyst for a lot of what we saw tonight. The reserve finished the evening with 20 points and 8 assists on 7-9 shooting from the field. He made the most of the bench unit's minutes on the floor, which we said would be a key part of finally snapping this losing streak.

By the end of the night, the Bulls had 31 assists and a 51.5 percent clip. Without Josh Giddey on the floor, this was undoubtedly an impressive offensive performance, especially when we consider they had not shot that well from the field since December 21.

Coby White Returns to Form

It's been a weird season for Coby White, who has struggled to look like his former self due to consistent injury trouble with his calf. However, after an extra day of rest after the postponement against the Miami Heat, White seemingly returned to form.

While the guard may have only shot 2-7 from downtown, he still was 9-15 on the night and did a really nice job attacking the Mavericks downhill. Of course, this did end up being a dominant game in the fastbreak, but White's ball-handling and patience in the halfcourt are really what stood out.

Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Coby White of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) shoots against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Ayo Dosunmu – A
Stats: 20 PTS, 8 AST, 4 STL, 4 REB

No one played a more well-rounded game than Ayo Dosunmu on Saturday. The guard has been trying to prove his worth more and more, and he did exactly that tonight by shooting 7-9 from the field and dishing 8 assists. He looked like the kind of player who can run an offense, which makes his potential trade market all the more interesting.

Coby White – B+
Stats: 22 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST

As we suggested above, this looked like a far more recognizable version of Coby White tonight. His ball-handling really stood out against this Dallas defense, as he repeatedly weaved his way into the paint for some easy looks. Facing a Dallas team that has allowed the single-most points in the paint this season, it was encouraging to see White stay aggressive and take advantage of that.

Matas Buzelis – B+
Stats: 15 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST

Matas Buzelis continued to come out aggressively. His first half, in particular, stood out among the rest, as the second-year forward had 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks over the first 24 minutes alone.

Kevin Huerter – B-
Stats: 13 PTS, 6 AST, 3 STL

Kevin Huerter entered the day as questionable with back pain but still put up a pretty impressive performance. I remain pretty impressed with his ability to score within the three-point line, as well as come up with a few key turnovers.

Nikola Vucevic – C+
Stats: 15 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK

The Dallas Mavericks give up the most points in the paint per game, and Nikola Vucevic used that to help build Chicago's early double-digit lead. He played like the adult in the room tonight against a very inexperienced Mavs team.