The Bulls didn’t waste any time giving the home crowd something to remember in Saturday’s opener against the Wizards.
Early in the first quarter, Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis teamed up for a quick burst of energy that lit up the building. At 7:53, Wilson picked off a pass and finished the break with a two-handed dunk that put Chicago ahead 13-7.
Not long after, Norman Powell pushed the ball up the floor on the other end and found Buzelis to his right. Buzelis attacked the lane, gathered himself, and threw down a two-handed slam of his own.
It was the kind of sequence fans knew exactly how to enjoy. Wilson and Buzelis both play with a flair for the dramatic, and both have the kind of bounce that can turn a routine possession into a highlight. Buzelis has already shown he can take over the internet with a dunk, including one last year over Jalen Suggs in January.
Wilson brought plenty of lift, too. By the end of the first half, he had 17 points, hit six shots from the field, and finished five of them with dunks.
There’s also a practical side to the pairing. With both players capable of bringing the same kind of explosive play, they can help take some of that burden off each other instead of leaving one guy to carry the charge alone. The connection started building before the season, including a September Cubs game Wilson and Buzelis attended with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, where they cheered on Pete Crow-Armstrong.
At the time of publication, Chicago was up 62-57.
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