Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls: Bulls Steal Heart-Stopper 122-121 on Vucevic Buzzer-Beater! 🏀

What a wild ride in Rip City! 🔥 The Chicago Bulls improved to 8-6 with a dramatic 122-121 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on November 19, 2025, at Moda Center. Nikola Vucevic's ice-cold 3-pointer at the buzzer capped a thriller, holding off Portland's furious 31-7 fourth-quarter rally from 21 down. The Blazers (6-9) fought like champions but fell short in a gut-wrencher. Let's unpack the chaos, heroes, and heartbreak!

Game Flow: From Blowout to Buzzer-Beater

• Early Dominance (First Half): Chicago seized control with a balanced attack, leading 62-58 at the break. The Bulls' bench erupted for 28 points, while Portland's injury-riddled starters (missing Lillard, Henderson, Sharpe, Williams III) struggled for rhythm. Vucevic (22 points, 12 rebounds) set the tone early.

• Third-Quarter Surge: The Bulls ballooned a 21-point lead (91-70) midway through, thanks to Coby White's 15 in the frame (off the bench). Portland managed just 19 points, looking headed for garbage time—Moda Center fans on edge.

• Epic Comeback (Fourth Quarter): Enter the Blazers' magic. A 31-7 run over 8 minutes flipped the script: Deni Avdija's 3 tied it at 116, Donovan Clingan's layup and free throw gave Portland a 119-116 edge with 47 seconds left. Coby White's 3 pulled Chicago within one (120-119) at 9.1 seconds. Portland's turnover sealed doom—Vucevic's prayer from the logo splashed for the win.

Final Score: Chicago Bulls 122, Portland Trail Blazers 121 Attendance: 17,795 | Halftime: Bulls 62-58 Blazers

Key Stats & Standouts

• Blazers Bright Spots:

  • Donovan Clingan: 18 points, 20 rebounds (career-high), 3 blocks—monster night anchoring the comeback.

  • Deni Avdija: 22 points (4-7 3PT), 8 assists—clutch tying triple and playmaking fueled the rally.

  • Jerami Grant (probable, played through illness): 19 points, 6 rebounds—gritty scoring in the clutch.

• Bulls Bosses:

  • Nikola Vucevic: 22 points (8-14 FG), 12 rebounds, 5 assists—buzzer-beater hero, double-double machine.

  • Coby White: 25 points (off bench), 4 assists—third-quarter explosion (15 points) swung momentum.

  • Brandin Podziemski: 18 points, 6 rebounds—efficient all-around, including key free throws late.

Bench Battle: Chicago's reserves outscored Portland's 55-33—White and Podziemski's fireworks proved decisive.

Injury Report & Absences

• Trail Blazers: A nightmare list—Damian Lillard (ankle), Scoot Henderson (shoulder), Shaedon Sharpe (calf), Robert Williams III (knee management), Matisse Thybulle (hamstring), Blake Wesley (G-League). Interim coach Tiago Splitter leaned on youth like Clingan.

• Bulls: Relatively healthy—Zach LaVine (rested), DeMar DeRozan (traded earlier), but no major absences. Depth from the bench shone through.

What We Learned

• Blazers' Resilience: From 21 down to leading by 3 with under a minute? Vintage Portland heart. Clingan's 20-board explosion signals rookie star power, but injuries (six key outs) exposed depth issues—1-5 skid continues.

• Bulls' Clutch Gene: Vucevic's buzzer-beater (his first game-winner since 2022) embodies Chicago's grit under Billy Donovan. Bench scoring (55 points) masked starter inconsistencies—8-6 keeps them playoff-adjacent.

• Comeback Kings: Portland's 31-7 fourth tied for the NBA's best this season—Avdija's poise (tying 3) was poetry, but that final turnover? Heartbreaker.

Up Next

• Bulls (8-6): Host Miami Heat on Friday—tough test vs. Adebayo's Heat.

• Trail Blazers (6-9): Visit Golden State Warriors on Friday—back-to-back roadie to snap the skid.

MVP of the Night: Donovan Clingan—20 boards as a rookie? Future anchor alert! What a tease of what's to come. Drop your hot takes: Blazers' curse or Bulls' destiny? 🗣️ Stay locked for more NBA heat and live reactions!

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