Takeaways & Player Grades: Pacers Down Bulls for Third Time This Season

The Indiana Pacers pulled out another crunch time win over the Chicago Bulls, 113-110.

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3 Takeaways

Matas Buzelis' Starts Hot

While trade rumors are the focus off the court, Matas Buzelis remains the focus on it. Sans a miraculous Giannis Antetokounmpo trade that leads to an Arturas Karnisovas statue outside the United Center, Buzelis remains the Bulls' most important building block. His two-way versatility has led to career-high marks across the board, as well as another invite to the Rising Stars event at All-Star Weekend. There is a real chance for him to become something special for this organization, and the start of tonight's game demonstrated that.

Buzelis came out and dropped 13 points in the opening frame – the most in any quarter of his two-year-long career. He went 3-3 from long range and converted two of his three looks inside the restricted area. The aggressive start set the tone for what would be a stellar first quarter for the team as a whole. The Bulls shot 56.0 percent from the field and outscored the Pacers a ridiculous 18-2 from the paint. Meanwhile, all Indiana could muster was a 30.8 percent clip, resulting in the 33-24 point deficit.

Star players create a chain reaction of energy and focus. Buzelis did that during his first rotational run. Now, can we say that he did that for the remainder of the game? Probably not, but the flashes continue to be what matters most. Consider him a "Star in Training."

A Fourth Quarter Collapse

One of the best teams in crunch time this season, the Chicago Bulls were a complete mess down the stretch.

They came into the final 12 minutes in full control. While the Pacers were able to cut into their deficit and keep things tight for most of the second and third quarters, they stretched their lead back to 85-76 heading into the fourth. Ayo Dosunmu played particularly well coming out of the halftime break, scoring or assisting on 12 points in the third quarter. The Bulls also played with a smart downhill mindset against the undersized Pacers, going 10-10 from the charity stripe in the frame.

Even to start the fourth quarter, the Bulls found themselves in an encouraging rhythm. They ended up pushing their advantage to 14 points thanks to another Dosunmu layup with under 8 minutes to go. Then, Pascal Siakam put on his cape.

Siakam hit the game-winning mid-range jumper in his first meeting with Chicago, only to follow that up with 36 points in his next contest. This time around, he put up 12 points in the final 7:36 to steal a third-straight from the Bulls. He and big man Jay Huff helped jumpstart a 28-11 run to end the game for Indiana. Their combination of mobility and physicality completely picked apart the Bulls' weak interior defense.

Indeed, the Pacers finished the fourth quarter 9-12 from the paint for a 63.9 percent shooting effort overall. The Bulls just couldn't get enough stops when it mattered most, and the Pacers looked like they knew it.

An Important Trade Deadline Reminder

While I know these takeaways are typically reserved for the game itself, it's hard not to watch a performance like this and think about the looming trade deadline. This is particularly true when we consider the reports that surfaced this week.

Multiple outlets sent a message that Chicago was satisfied with their recent play and could look to push for the postseason. They suggested that the games leading up to the deadline could play a pivotal role in deciding Artūras Karnišovas course of action. Considering the Bulls sit 9th in the Eastern Conference, yet again, with a middling record, this perspective felt ill-advised. May tonight have reminded the front office of that?

Three of the Indiana Pacers' 12 wins this season have come against the Bulls. Two of the 12 wins for both the Pelicans and Nets have come against the Bulls. Tonight served as another example of this team failing to take care of business. What good is beating the Boston Celtics if you can't manage to take down the team tied for the fewest wins in the NBA? All that shows is randomness and inconsistency that shouldn't be bought into.

Even if the Bulls do go on to beat their mortal Play-In nemesis tomorrow, a third straight loss to the broken Pacers should tell this team everything it needs to know.

Five Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Ayo Dosunmu of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 28, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Johnny Furphy (12) shoots the ball while Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Ayo Dosunmu – A
Stats: 19 PTS, 4 AST, 4 REB

After the Indiana Pacers clawed back in, Ayo Dosunmu put his foot on the gas. The guard did a great job finishing inside with an 8-15 shooting display, and he also dished out a couple of timely assists.

Matas Buzelis – A-
Stats: 20 PTS, 8 REB, 1 BLK

The Chicago Bulls could have used some more defensive stops from Matas Buzelis, but he came through offensively on a night where the guards didn't. He went 7-11 from the field and had only his seventh game this season with at least four made threes.

Nikola Vucevic – B+
Stats: 25 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST, 2 BLK

Was Nikola Vucevic's lack of rim protection a problem down the stretch? Yes. But he held his own on the other end and knocked down one of the biggest shots of the night from downtown with just over 30 seconds left to give the Bulls a 110-109 advantage.

Josh Giddey – C
Stats: 10 PTS, 7 AST, 4 REB

As Josh Giddey continues to ramp up after returning from his hamstring injury, he really struggled to find the bottom of the net. He didn't handle the Pacers' physicality well and settled for just a 3-8 from shooting night from the field. Mostly one to forget for the lead guard.

Coby White – C-
Stats: 14 PTS, 4 AST, 2 REB

After some stellar play over the last handful of games, Coby White looked out of sorts. He went just 5-15 from the field and 1-5 from downtown. As frisky as this Pacers team can be, you expected a much better showing from him tonight.