Bench Outscored Minnesota’s 50-33 as Bulls Stunned Timberwolves for Second Straight Win: 2 Reasons

Chicago’s bench took charge

The Bulls faced a difficult setup after an overtime game the previous night and entered Saturday without frontcourt players Jalen Smith and Nic Claxton. Minnesota had held opponents to 109 points or fewer in five consecutive games, but Chicago scored 117.

Chicago’s reserves produced a 50-33 edge in bench points. Patrick Williams, Buddy Hield and Tre Jones each scored at least 14 points, while Leonard Miller contributed four assists.

Williams supplied a key moment late, hitting a three-pointer that made it 116-106 with just over a minute remaining. Hield made four of six attempts from beyond the arc, and the Bulls went 14-for-30 from three-point range.

Minnesota’s shooting faltered

LaMelo Ball struggled to find his shot, making seven of 25 attempts, including four of 19 from three-point range. He took nine three-point shots in the fourth quarter, as Minnesota tried to close the gap.

Rudy Gobert also had a quiet night offensively, scoring one point while missing all seven of his field-goal attempts. He played 27 minutes, the fewest among Minnesota’s starters.

Minnesota had made progress in the third quarter, with former Bull Ayo Dosunmu scoring 14 points in the period. But Chicago stayed ahead and held on for the victory.

A second win in succession

The victory followed Chicago’s first win of the season in Milwaukee on Friday. In both games, the Bulls received important contributions from their bench. Williams finished with 14 points, five rebounds, three steals and one block in 25 minutes. His strong finishes inside and late three-pointer helped seal the result.

Hield’s outside shooting added to the Bulls’ recent success from long range. Chicago had made 20 three-pointers the night before, then followed with 14 against Minnesota.