The Veteran Dagger: Vucevic Buzzer-Beater Lifts Bulls to 122-121 Thriller Over Blazers

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PORTLAND, OR — In a chaotic finish that saw a massive lead completely evaporate, the Chicago Bulls (5-5) needed a miracle to escape the Moda Center with a victory, and they found it in the hands of their most seasoned big man. Nikola Vucevic drained a three-pointer as the final horn sounded, giving the Bulls an improbable 122-121 road win over the Portland Trail Blazers (4-8) on Wednesday night.

The victory was the Bulls’ second straight and capped a grueling Northwest road trip on the highest possible note, but the story was less about dominance and more about sheer survival. Chicago had built a seemingly insurmountable lead, sitting comfortably ahead by as much as 21 points in the fourth quarter. However, the Trail Blazers, fueled by a scorching-hot Jerami Grant (33 points) and a brilliant triple-double effort from Deni Avdija (32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists), launched a ferocious comeback, culminating in a 31-7 surge that put them ahead 120-116 in the final minute.

The final ten seconds were a blur of desperation and clutch shot-making. Down by three, the Bulls relied on the energy of guard Coby White, who poured in 25 points off the bench. White collected the inbound pass, drove into the paint, and somehow drilled a contested three-pointer with just 9.1 seconds left to pull Chicago within one, 120-119. After Grant split a pair of free throws for Portland, the Bulls had one final possession to win the game, trailing 121-119.

It was White, again, who made the decisive move. Driving toward the basket, he saw the Trail Blazers’ defense collapse and calmly kicked the ball out to Vucevic, who was stationed wide-open on the perimeter. The 15-year veteran did not hesitate, catching and firing a shot that splashed through the net as the buzzer sounded, setting off a wild celebration from the Bulls bench and stunning the home crowd into silence.

Vucevic, who finished with a team-high 27 points, acknowledged the rollercoaster nature of the win after the game. While he relished the game-winner—his second clutch shot in as many games—he also admitted the team needs to work on its consistency. “We can’t always sit here and talk about resilience,” Vucevic said. “At some point, we have to beat a team that once we do get up 10-15, almost 20 points tonight, stay with our foot on the gas and finish the game off.”

For now, the Bulls will celebrate the high-drama victory, a crucial momentum builder as they head back home to host the Miami Heat.