Buzelis Buzzer-Beater Hides Bulls' Familiar Flaws

The United Center crowd got a jolt Monday night. Matas Buzelis, the Bulls' latest draft hopeful, hit a clutch layup with 4.7 seconds left, putting Chicago up 130-124 against the Houston Rockets. Collin Sexton, coming off the bench, dropped 25 points, including a scorching 5-for-8 from deep. Good for him. The final score, 132-124 Bulls, looks like a comfortable win on paper. But paper lies.

Here’s the thing: Chicago was up 40-20 after the first quarter. Twenty points. That's not a typo. They shot a ridiculous 68% from the field in those first 12 minutes. DeMar DeRozan had 11 points in the first frame, hitting his classic mid-range jumpers. Nikola Vucevic looked engaged, grabbing 5 rebounds early. The Rockets, frankly, looked lost, turning the ball over six times in the same span. You'd think that kind of start means a leisurely cruise to victory, right?

Nope. Not these Bulls. They let Houston claw back. Jalen Green, after a quiet first, found his rhythm, finishing with a team-high 28 points. Fred VanVleet, who looked frustrated early, dished out 10 assists by the final buzzer, orchestrating the Rockets' comeback attempt. Houston outscored Chicago 37-29 in the second quarter, cutting the lead to just 12 by halftime. That's the problem. This isn't an isolated incident; it's a pattern. Chicago has a nasty habit of letting teams back into games they should have put away early. Remember that November 8th game against the Jazz, where they blew a 19-point lead? Or the December 2nd collapse against the Pelicans, losing a 21-point advantage?

Buzelis, bless his heart, saved them this time. His 12 points and 7 rebounds were solid for a prospect. But a rookie stepping in for a late-game hero moment shouldn't be necessary when you've built a 20-point cushion before the first commercial break. And don’t get me wrong, Sexton was fantastic. His instant offense off the bench kept the Rockets at arm’s length when they threatened to overtake the lead in the fourth. He was the most consistent scoring threat outside of DeRozan's 22 points.

But the real story here is the Bulls' inability to sustain intensity. It’s a head-scratcher. Billy Donovan’s team often shows flashes of brilliance, like that incredible first quarter where they looked like world-beaters. Then, they settle. They get complacent. The defensive effort wanes, the ball movement stagnates, and suddenly, a double-digit lead feels like a single possession. Against a more disciplined team, that 20-point lead would have evaporated entirely. Houston isn't exactly a playoff contender this year; they're still finding their identity.

Look, a win is a win, especially when you're trying to figure things out as a unit. But the way they earned it against the Rockets exposes a deeper issue. They can't rely on a prospect's last-second heroics to bail them out every time they get comfortable. The fact that the Rockets shot 50% from the field in the second half, after looking completely inept early on, tells you all you need to know about Chicago’s second-half defensive effort.

My bold prediction? Unless this team figures out how to play a complete 48 minutes, this season will be a frustrating cycle of tantalizing starts followed by heart-stopping finishes. They'll sneak into the play-in, but it won't be pretty.