'We played really soft': Nikola Vucevic, Bulls grind out win over bottom of the barrel Wizards
Saturday had a celebratory feel at United Center as the Bulls paid tribute to six franchise greats during their Ring of Honor Ceremony while also trying to take care of a Washington team near the bottom of the league. The
He wrapped up the night with 28 points and 12 rebounds, but the numbers did little to soften his mood. Speaking with K. C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, Vucevic made it clear he was frustrated,
“We didn’t do anything we talked about. We played really soft, it was really bad,” said the Bulls big man. “Obviously, we are happy we won, but we can’t keep doing this; it’s not sustainable. We have to be better.”
Nikola Vucevic’s visible annoyance despite the Bulls win
Vucevic did not hold back when he talked about the team’s effort, describing the first three quarters as soft before noting how the group finally woke up in the fourth and outscored Washington 29 to 22.
The interview itself had a brief interruption when Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith drifted into the frame, both trying to annoy Vucevic. Smith kept joking around behind him until Vucevic told him to cut it out, then he turned his attention back to the conversation.
The Bulls spent most of the night playing from behind and only grabbed control once the fourth quarter arrived. The group looked worn down overall, with injuries thinning the rotation and the grind of five games in seven days clearly taking a toll.
Bulls coming up big in second halves
Chicago has leaned on big second halves more than once this season to pull games out of trouble. Their most dramatic example came on November 4, when the Bulls stormed back from twenty four points down
The same script played out last Monday against the Denver Nuggets, when the Bulls seized control after the break and pushed ahead by winning the third quarter 40 to 29 before closing out a tight 130 to 127 win.
The Bulls have wrapped up a grueling stretch of five games in seven days, coming away with three wins and two losses to push their record to 9-7. O
Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson gets real on nail-biting comeback win over Giants
Aidan Hutchinson got real on the Detroit Lions needing to fight through a close matchup against the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon.
Going into the matchup, Detroit had a 6-4 record on the season. They've continued to stand out as one of the most entertaining teams in the NFL, even though they sustained more losses this year after their 15-2 campaign in 2024.
Hosting the Giants could have been a simple win for the Lions to get. However, Jameis Winston and Wan'Dale Robinson had other ideas as they applied plenty of pressure on the Lions to respond with big plays throughout the course of the game. It even went all the way to overtime, which had Detroit need a clutch touchdown rush from Jahmyr Gibbs to take the final lead of the game.
Hutchinson reflected on the win after the game, per 97.1 The Ticket. He praised the team for coming together and pulling off the rally to stop the Giants' advances.
“When it was 27-17 with 10 minutes left, I think everyone was like: uh-oh. We ended up finding a way to pull it out…I don’t think we’ve really done that this year, been down in the 4th and made the comeback, so to get that done is huge,” Hutchinson said.
How Aidan Hutchinson, Lions played against Giants
It was a solid 34-27 home win for Aidan Hutchinson and the Lions to earn, stopping a potential upset from the Giants in overtime.
New York made plenty of noise throughout the game, taking a 10-0 lead after the first quarter. They continued to control the momentum as they led 27-17 in the fourth quarter, but Detroit finally woke up to score the last 17 points of the day.
Jared Goff delivered a solid performance to help Detroit complete the rally. He completed 28 passes out of 42 attempts for 279 yards and two touchdowns and one interception.
Jahmyr Gibbs torched the Giants' run defense all game. He had 15 of the team's 20 carries for 219 yards and two touchdowns while recording 11 catches for 45 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.
Detroit improved to a 7-4 record on the season, holding the third spot of the NFC North Division standings. They are above the Minnesota Vikings while trailing the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. In terms of the NFC standings, they sit at eighth place. They are above the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys while trailing the San Francisco 49ers and Packers.
The Lions will look forward to their next matchup, remaining at home. They host the Packers on Nov. 27 at 1 p.m. ET.
