Caleb Wilson Stars as Bulls Rally Past Bucks for First Win

Rookie Caleb Wilson delivered an impressive performance on Friday night, scoring 21 points and sinking crucial free throws in the final minutes to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 132-125 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on the road. The win marked the first victory of the head coaching tenure for Tiago Splitter, who had to rely heavily on a surging bench unit after his starting lineup fell into an early hole.

Chicago fell behind by as many as 15 points in the first quarter, struggling mightily from beyond the arc while Milwaukee capitalized on transition scoring. Facing a steep deficit, Splitter turned to his reserves midway through the opening period. The bench responded with a massive 38-19 run in the second quarter, completely shifting momentum and helping the Bulls trim the margin down to just one point by halftime.

Wilson found his rhythm after a quiet first half, exploding for 19 of his 21 points over the final two quarters. Alongside his scoring output, the 20-year-old rookie contributed six rebounds, two blocks, and a critical steal. His performance placed him alongside Michael Jordan as the only rookies in franchise history—and just the ninth in NBA history—to reach those statistical thresholds within their first two games.

With the game tightly contested in the fourth quarter, Splitter chose to close out the matchup with the players who had built the momentum rather than returning to his usual starting five. Veteran guard Tre Jones praised the rookie's poise under pressure. "He's fearless, he's a competitor, he's a winner at the end of the day," Jones said of Wilson. "He does whatever the team asks of him... and he was trying to make winning plays down the stretch and he did that."

Wilson solidified the victory in the final minute by calmly sinking four consecutive free throws and making key defensive plays, including a vital steal against Tyler Herro. Herro led all scorers with 34 points for Milwaukee, while teammate Jaime Jaquez Jr. added a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double. However, the balanced scoring of Chicago's secondary unit proved decisive.

Alongside Wilson, Norman Powell paced the Bulls with a team-high 25 points. Leonard Miller contributed 19 points off the bench, Buddy Hield added 13, Isaac Okoro chipped in 12, and Tre Jones finished with 11 points and eight assists. The strong collective effort from the reserves ultimately carried Chicago to an even 1-1 record on the young season.

Reflecting on his clutch execution down the stretch, Wilson expressed full confidence in his abilities. "I always feel like near the end of the game I’m going to do the right thing, and I love those moments because it shows who you really are," Wilson said. The Bulls will look to build on this momentum when they host the Washington Wizards for their home opener on Saturday night.