Pacers rally late to defeat Bulls 113-110

Chicago blows 14-point fourth quarter lead, falls to 12-12 against sub-.500 teams

Jan. 28, 2026 at 10:07pm

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The Chicago Bulls squandered a 14-point fourth quarter lead and fell to the Indiana Pacers 113-110. The Pacers surged back in the final minutes, with Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith leading the charge. The loss dropped the Bulls to 12-12 on the season against teams below .500.

Why it matters

The Bulls' inability to put away inferior opponents has been a recurring issue this season, as they have struggled to maintain leads and close out games against lower-ranked teams. This loss to the 12-36 Pacers highlights the team's inconsistency and raises questions about their ability to compete at the highest level.

The details

The Bulls led by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter, but the Pacers stormed back with a strong finish. Nembhard, Siakam and Nesmith led the Pacers' physical play, which the Bulls struggled to match. Nikola Vucevic's 25 points and 9 rebounds were not enough, as the Bulls failed to hold on to the late lead.

  • The Bulls led by 14 points with 7:14 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The players

Nikola Vucevic

The Bulls' center led the team with 25 points and 9 rebounds.

Matas Buzelis

The Bulls' forward scored 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, with a strong first-half performance.

Ayo Dosunmu

The Bulls' guard scored 19 points, spearheading the team's second-half effort.

Andrew Nembhard

The Pacers' guard was a key contributor in their late-game comeback.

Pascal Siakam

The Pacers' forward helped lead the physical play that allowed Indiana to rally.

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What they’re saying

“Losing to bad teams has been a common trend for Chicago this season: they are 12-12 against teams below .500 and 3-9 against teams below them in the Eastern Conference.”

— Will Gottlieb (allchgo.com)

“The Bulls have generated good shots all season. They rank third in Second Spectrum's shot quality metric, behind only Golden State and Oklahoma City. When factoring in identity of shooters, they drop to 13th, which in itself is telling. The Bulls are optimizing their shot profile and maxing out what they can do with what they have.”

— Billy Donovan, Bulls Head Coach (allchgo.com)

What’s next

The Bulls will have three matchups with the Miami Heat in the next four nights, starting with a home game that was previously postponed. These games represent an opportunity for the Bulls to make a move in the Eastern Conference standings and potentially climb out of the Play-In Tournament range.

The takeaway

The Bulls' inability to put away inferior opponents has been a recurring issue this season, as they have struggled to maintain leads and close out games against lower-ranked teams. This loss to the Pacers highlights the team's inconsistency and raises questions about their ability to compete at the highest level, despite generating quality shots and optimizing their offensive approach.