Bulls defeat Rockets with 10 seconds left in the game

The Chicago Bulls secured a thrilling victory over the Houston Rockets (132-124) Monday night, in a game that lived up to all expectations. Led by an excellent Collin Sexton off the bench (25 points), Chicago managed to withstand Houston’s spectacular comeback orchestrated by Kevin Durant.

A record first quarter for the Bulls

The Bulls took the lead from the start with an exceptional 41-point first quarter, a season record for the Illinois franchise. Collin Sexton set the tone by scoring 17 of his 25 points in that first quarter alone, allowing the Bulls (29-42) to build a lead that would reach 22 points.

Matas Buzelis also shined with 23 points total, while Leonard Miller added 17 units. Josh Giddey proved valuable with a double-double of 15 points and 13 assists, supported by Tre Jones and Jalen Smith who each contributed 15 points.

Ime Udoka on the Rockets loss to the Bulls 😅

« Poor start, disrespected the game, not prepared from the get go. Just non aggressive following them around, watching them shoot…weren’t prepared to play at all »

(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
pic.twitter.com/3luLm8oHwq

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) March 24, 2026

Kevin Durant leads the Rockets’ comeback

Despite trailing by 17 points at halftime, the Rockets (43-28) never gave up. Kevin Durant took over the game by scoring 15 of his 40 points in the final quarter, bringing his total made shots to 15 of 23 attempts. This performance marks his ninth consecutive game shooting over 50%, the third longest streak of his career.

Alperen Sengun (33 points) and Amen Thompson (23 points) also contributed to Houston’s offensive effort. The Rockets even took the lead thanks to a 3-pointer by Jabari Smith Jr. with 5 minutes 56 seconds remaining.

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The suspense remained until the final seconds, when Matas Buzelis scored the winning basket with 10.2 seconds left. Rockets coach Ime Udoka was ejected after receiving his second technical foul with 9.1 seconds remaining. This Houston loss, combined with San Antonio‘s victory over Miami (136-111), allows the Spurs (54-18) to clinch the Southwest division.