Thunder Dominate Bulls in Lopsided Victory

Oklahoma City cruises to 20-point win over struggling Chicago squad

Mar. 27, 2026 at 12:24am

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The Oklahoma City Thunder (57-16) continued their impressive season with a decisive 119-99 victory over the visiting Chicago Bulls (29-43). Led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 29 points, the Thunder pulled away in the second half to hand the Bulls their second straight blowout loss.

Why it matters

The win keeps Oklahoma City firmly atop the Western Conference standings, while the Bulls' playoff hopes continue to fade as they sit 12th in the East. This game highlighted the stark contrast between the conference leaders and a team fighting to stay in the postseason picture.

The details

The Thunder jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, outscoring the Bulls 65-46 in the second half. Gilgeous-Alexander was dominant, adding 7 assists and 4 rebounds to his game-high scoring output. Rookie Jalen Williams chipped in 18 points off the bench for OKC. For Chicago, Josh Giddey led the way with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, but the team struggled to contain the Thunder's offensive firepower.

  • The Thunder defeated the Bulls 116-108 in their first matchup on January 25th.
  • This was the final regular season meeting between the two teams.

The players

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Oklahoma City Thunder's star point guard and leading MVP candidate, averaging 29.8 points, 7.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds over the team's last 10 games.

Josh Giddey

The Chicago Bulls' young point guard, who is flirting with triple-double averages to end the season after being traded from the Thunder in the offseason.

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What they’re saying

“We knew this was going to be a tough game against the best team in the league, but we just couldn't match their intensity and execution tonight.”

— Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls Head Coach

“Our guys did a great job of setting the tone early and maintaining that focus throughout. This was a complete team effort on both ends of the floor.”

— Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder Head Coach

What’s next

The Thunder will look to extend their lead atop the Western Conference when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. The Bulls will try to bounce back at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the stark contrast between the Thunder, who are firmly in control of the West, and the struggling Bulls, who are fighting to stay in the playoff picture in the East. Oklahoma City's dominance on both ends of the floor was too much for Chicago to overcome, underscoring the work the Bulls have ahead of them to become a true contender in the NBA.