San Antonio Spurs Rally for 124-119 Comeback Win Against Bulls
The San Antonio Spurs looked dead in the water. Down 22 points on the road, the final night of a long trip, a Chicago crowd finally sensing a rare, comfortable win. Then Victor Wembanyama took over, the defense tightened, and a young Spurs team turned a rout into a ruthless 124-119 comeback victory on Wednesday night.
It was their 10th straight win. It was also a warning.
Wembanyama flips the script
Two days after dropping 40 on the Phoenix Suns, Wembanyama walked into Chicago and did it a different way. He poured in 32 points, grabbed nine rebounds and swatted five shots, anchoring both ends as San Antonio erased what had been the Bulls’ biggest lead of the season.
Every time Chicago tried to go at the rim in the second half, they met a wall of arms and timing. Often, it was Wembanyama. When it wasn’t, the threat of him was enough to bend the Bulls’ offense out of shape.
Around him, the backcourt ran the show. Rookie guard Dylan Harper delivered the kind of poised performance coaches dream about on the road: 18 points, 10 assists, four steals, and a constant sense of control in the chaos. DeAaron Fox added 17 points and nine assists, steering the tempo once the Spurs sensed the Bulls wobbling.
San Antonio closed out a 4-0 road trip with the kind of win that hardens belief. They didn’t just survive a bad start. They strangled it.
Bulls blaze early, crumble late
For a while, it looked like a cathartic night for Chicago.
They came out on fire, drilling 10 of their first 12 attempts from beyond the arc. The ball zipped, the spacing was clean, and the scoreboard told the story: 41 points in the first quarter, 66 percent shooting in the first half, and a 64-42 lead midway through the second. At 1-8 coming in, the Bulls finally had a game on their terms.
Jalen Smith tied his career high with 23 points, providing a steady scoring punch. Nic Claxton gave them 17 off the bench, injecting energy and finishing around the rim. For stretches, the offense looked free and fearless, the kind of rhythm that had been missing in a bruising start to the season.
Then the turnovers came. Then the doubt followed.
Chicago has now lost eight straight to fall to 1-9 overall and 0-4 at home. The numbers are brutal, but the manner of this collapse will sting more than any stat sheet.
The turning point
The game flipped right after halftime.
San Antonio opened the third quarter with an 18-3 run, slicing through Chicago’s lead in a blur. The Bulls coughed up five turnovers in that stretch, each one feeding the Spurs’ transition game and, just as damaging, their confidence.
What had been a 22-point cushion suddenly felt flimsy. Every missed shot, every loose pass, every hesitant decision tightened the United Center air.
By the fourth quarter, the roles were reversed. The Spurs were the aggressors, the Bulls the ones hanging on. An 11-2 San Antonio burst in the final period pushed them in front for good, their defense dictating terms while Wembanyama and Harper picked the right moments to attack.
The pressure finally told. Chicago had no answer.
Wilson’s brief spark, worrying exit
There was at least one bright flash for the Bulls before the night soured.
First-round pick Caleb Wilson delivered 15 points in just 15 minutes, an efficient, energetic cameo that hinted at why Chicago invested in him. Then misfortune struck again. Wilson left in the third quarter with a right hand injury, a cruel twist given that his college season last winter had already been cut short by a pair of hand issues.
On a roster searching for optimism, his health now becomes another concern.
Missing pieces, mounting questions
Both teams were short-handed. Norman Powell, Chicago’s second-leading scorer, missed a second straight game with back spasms. The Bulls needed his shot creation once the Spurs turned up the heat and the early three-point barrage cooled.
San Antonio, for its part, played without Devin Vassell for the second game in a row as he manages adductor tightness. On this night, their depth and structure absorbed the loss. Chicago’s did not.
The schedule offers no time to dwell.
The Spurs head home to host Golden State on Friday, carrying a 10-game winning streak and a rapidly growing sense that this group, led by a 7-foot-4 phenomenon, is arriving faster than expected.
The Bulls also play Friday, at home again, this time against Atlanta. The record says 1-9. The boos are getting louder. After blowing a 22-point lead, the question isn’t just how they respond—it’s how much more this fan base is willing to endure.
