Chicago turns hot shooting into a commanding lead
Matas Buzelis scored 19 points and made five three-pointers as the Chicago Bulls defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 125–104 at Fiserv Forum on October 14. Chicago finished with 20 three-pointers and forced 30 turnovers in the preseason game, which took place on October 15 in Philippine time.
The Bulls established control early, leading 24–15 after the first quarter. A 38-point second period extended the advantage to 62–39 at halftime. Chicago then added 40 points in the third quarter, carrying a 102–78 lead into the fourth and reaching a largest advantage of 34 points during the game.
Buzelis made six of nine shots overall and five of seven from three-point range in just under 24 minutes. He also recorded three assists without a turnover. Leonard Miller added 18 points and seven rebounds, making three of four attempts from long range.
Norman Powell contributed 16 points, while Jalen Smith finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and three three-pointers. Josh Giddey scored six points but supplied nine assists, helping Chicago record 35 assists on its 42 made field goals.
Kam Jones led Milwaukee with 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Brayden Burries added 19 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Kasparas Jakucionis scored 18 and dished out six assists, converting all 11 of his free throws.
Chicago's advantage extended beyond outside shooting. The Bulls recorded 14 steals, scored 43 points from Milwaukee turnovers and held a 22–6 edge in fast-break points. Milwaukee made only 39 percent of its field-goal attempts and shot 10-for-43 from three-point range.
The Bucks scored nine more points at the free-throw line, but Chicago's 20-for-50 three-point performance produced a 30-point advantage from beyond the arc. Milwaukee was without several regulars, including Tyler Herro, Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner, all listed as not playing by coach's decision. The uneven personnel made this a preseason evaluation, with Chicago's ball movement and shooting providing the clearest positives from the result.