CHICAGO -- — Isaac Okoro scored a season-high 24 points, Tre Jones added 20 points and 12 assists and the depleted Chicago Bulls topped the New Orleans Pelicans 134-118 on Wednesday night.

Matas Buzelis had 19 points, Jalen Smith had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Nikola Vucevic had 17 points for a Chicago team playing without its top two scorers in Josh Giddey and Coby White, who were injured in a loss to Minnesota on Monday night and are expected to miss several games.

All five Chicago starters reached double figures, as did three bench players — Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter and Patrick Williams.

Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 31 points and Jordan Poole added 26 off the bench in the team's fifth straight loss.

The Bulls asserted their up-tempo style, scoring 25 points on the fast breaks, while holding their own with the Pelicans in the paint (60 points to 56).

Chicago leveraged New Orleans fouls in an game that often turned physical. Chicago connected on 25 of 34 on free throws for the game after struggling from the stripe in the first half.

Chicago led 97-90 entering the fourth quarter, then opened the lead to 17 points.

Giddey (left hamstring tightness) will be reevaluated in two weeks and White (right calf tightness) in one, the team said Sunday. The Bulls also said center Zach Collins (sprained right toe) will be reevaluated in 10 days. He missed Monday’s game.

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado served the second of a two-game suspension stemming from his fight on Saturday night with Phoenix’s Mark Williams.

Chicago led 67-62 at the half.

Okoro scored 16 points in the opening 24 minutes. Williamson consistently plowed into the paint to score 20 of his, including nine in a row late in the second quarter.

Up next

Pelicans: Host Portland on Friday night.

Bulls: Host Orlando on Friday night.

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Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Derik Queen vs. Nikola Vucevic (Jeremiah Fears gains possession)	0	0
11:50	Tre Jones kicked ball violation	0	0
11:43	Zion Williamson makes 1-foot layup (Jeremiah Fears assists)	0	2
11:25	Jalen Smith misses 26-foot three point jumper	0	2
11:23	Trey Murphy III defensive rebound	0	2
11:16	Zion Williamson misses two point shot	0	2
11:13	Jalen Smith defensive rebound	0	2
11:09	Matas Buzelis makes 1-foot running dunk	2	2
10:54	Saddiq Bey misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	2	2
10:52	Matas Buzelis defensive rebound	2	2
10:46	Jalen Smith makes running layup (Matas Buzelis assists)	4	2
10:32	Isaac Okoro blocks Jeremiah Fears 's 1-foot driving layup	4	2
10:29	Isaac Okoro defensive rebound	4	2
10:21	Jalen Smith makes 23-foot three point jumper (Nikola Vucevic assists)	7	2
10:03	Trey Murphy III lost ball turnover (Jalen Smith steals)	7	2
9:59	Isaac Okoro makes running layup (Tre Jones assists)	9	2
9:59	Pelicans Full timeout	9	2
9:46	Zion Williamson makes alley oop layup (Derik Queen assists)	9	4
9:36	Nikola Vucevic misses 26-foot three point jumper	9	4
9:33	Matas Buzelis offensive rebound	9	4
9:26	Tre Jones makes 24-foot three point jumper (Nikola Vucevic assists)	12	4
9:11	Jeremiah Fears out of bounds bad pass turnover	12	4
8:53	Nikola Vucevic makes 6-foot two point shot	14	4
8:41	Zion Williamson misses 3-foot two point shot	14	4
8:41	Zion Williamson offensive rebound	14	4
8:41	Zion Williamson misses tip shot	14	4
8:41	Pelicans offensive team rebound	14	4
8:36	Trey Murphy III makes 25-foot three pointer (Derik Queen assists)	14	7
8:24	Matas Buzelis makes driving layup	16	7
8:08	Saddiq Bey makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot (Trey Murphy III assists)	16	9
8:03	Zion Williamson shooting foul	16	9
8:03	Isaac Okoro makes free throw 1 of 2	17	9
8:03	Yves Missi enters the game for Derik Queen	17	9
8:03	Kevin Huerter enters the game for Nikola Vucevic	17	9
8:03	Ayo Dosunmu enters the game for Tre Jones	17	9
8:03	Isaac Okoro makes free throw 2 of 2	18	9
7:52	Zion Williamson misses driving layup	18	9
7:49	Zion Williamson offensive rebound	18	9
7:49	Zion Williamson makes two point shot	18	11
7:33	Jalen Smith bad pass turnover (Yves Missi steals)	18	11
7:24	Saddiq Bey misses 25-foot three point jumper	18	11
7:19	Matas Buzelis defensive rebound	18	11
7:06	Matas Buzelis misses layup	18	11
7:04	Yves Missi defensive rebound	18	11
7:02	Trey Murphy III misses 29-foot running jump shot	18	11
6:58	Isaac Okoro defensive rebound	18	11
6:47	Isaac Okoro makes layup (Kevin Huerter assists)	20	11
6:33	Yves Missi misses driving floating jump shot	20	11
6:30	Saddiq Bey offensive rebound	20	11
6:29	Kevin Huerter shooting foul	20	11
6:29	Saddiq Bey makes free throw 1 of 2	20	12
6:29	Jordan Poole enters the game for Jeremiah Fears	20	12
6:29	Kevon Looney enters the game for Zion Williamson	20	12
6:29	Saddiq Bey makes free throw 2 of 2	20	13
6:15	Jalen Smith makes 1-foot layup (Ayo Dosunmu assists)	22	13
5:56	Trey Murphy III bad pass turnover (Isaac Okoro steals)	22	13
5:53	Isaac Okoro makes two point shot	24	13
5:53	Patrick Williams enters the game for Matas Buzelis	24	13
5:53	Dalen Terry enters the game for Isaac Okoro	24	13
5:53	Pelicans Full timeout	24	13
5:38	Saddiq Bey misses driving layup	24	13
5:35	Kevon Looney offensive rebound	24	13
5:34	Jalen Smith shooting foul	24	13
5:34	Jordan Poole makes free throw 1 of 2	24	14
5:34	Jordan Poole makes free throw 2 of 2	24	15
5:23	Patrick Williams misses 25-foot three point jumper	24	15
5:18	Trey Murphy III defensive rebound	24	15
5:04	Jalen Smith blocks Yves Missi 's 1-foot driving layup	24	15
5:01	Jalen Smith defensive rebound	24	15
4:58	Jalen Smith misses 25-foot running jump shot	24	15
4:58	Yves Missi defensive rebound	24	15
4:51	Ayo Dosunmu shooting foul	24	15
4:51	Jordan Poole makes free throw 1 of 2	24	16
4:51	Nikola Vucevic enters the game for Jalen Smith	24	16
4:51	Micah Peavy enters the game for Saddiq Bey	24	16
4:51	Jordan Poole makes free throw 2 of 2	24	17
4:30	Trey Murphy III blocks Ayo Dosunmu 's 1-foot driving layup	24	17
4:27	Dalen Terry offensive rebound	24	17
4:25	Patrick Williams misses 20-foot pullup jump shot	24	17
4:25	Bulls offensive team rebound	24	17
4:25	shot clock turnover	24	17
4:19	Trey Murphy III misses 16-foot pullup jump shot	24	17
4:15	Nikola Vucevic defensive rebound	24	17
3:54	Yves Missi blocks Kevin Huerter 's 3-foot two point shot	24	17
3:51	Kevon Looney defensive rebound	24	17
3:51	Trey Murphy III makes 1-foot running dunk (Micah Peavy assists)	24	19
3:28	Patrick Williams misses 26-foot three point jumper	24	19
3:24	Jordan Poole defensive rebound	24	19
3:18	Micah Peavy makes 23-foot running jump shot (Trey Murphy III assists)	24	22
3:05	Kevin Huerter misses 26-foot three point jumper	24	22
3:02	Trey Murphy III defensive rebound	24	22
2:58	Trey Murphy III lost ball turnover (Kevin Huerter steals)	24	22
2:54	Kevin Huerter makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot	26	22
2:54	Jordan Poole shooting foul	26	22
2:54	Matas Buzelis enters the game for Patrick Williams	26	22
2:54	Jordan Hawkins enters the game for Trey Murphy III	26	22
2:54	Kevin Huerter makes free throw 1 of 1	27	22
2:42	Jordan Poole makes 1-foot two point shot (Kevon Looney assists)	27	24
2:35	Nikola Vucevic makes 25-foot three point jumper (Dalen Terry assists)	30	24
2:24	Jordan Poole misses 27-foot three point pullup jump shot	30	24
2:22	Kevon Looney offensive rebound	30	24
2:16	Jordan Poole makes 25-foot three point jumper (Kevon Looney assists)	30	27
1:57	Yves Missi shooting foul	30	27
1:57	Matas Buzelis misses free throw 1 of 2	30	27
1:57	Bulls offensive team rebound	30	27
1:57	Isaac Okoro enters the game for Dalen Terry	30	27
1:57	Tre Jones enters the game for Kevin Huerter	30	27
1:57	Zion Williamson enters the game for Yves Missi	30	27
1:57	Matas Buzelis misses free throw 2 of 2	30	27
1:55	Kevon Looney defensive rebound	30	27
1:36	Jordan Hawkins misses 20-foot pullup jump shot	30	27
1:36	Bulls defensive team rebound	30	27
1:36	Micah Peavy loose ball foul	30	27
1:36	Matas Buzelis makes free throw 1 of 2	31	27
1:36	Jevon Carter enters the game for Ayo Dosunmu	31	27
1:36	Matas Buzelis misses free throw 2 of 2	31	27
1:34	Kevon Looney defensive rebound	31	27
1:22	Micah Peavy makes driving layup (Jordan Poole assists)	31	29
1:22	Matas Buzelis shooting foul	31	29
1:22	Micah Peavy makes free throw 1 of 1	31	30
1:08	Matas Buzelis misses 25-foot three point jumper	31	30
1:05	Zion Williamson defensive rebound	31	30
52.8	Kevon Looney misses dunk	31	30
50.0	Nikola Vucevic defensive rebound	31	30
47.5	Isaac Okoro makes 23-foot running jump shot (Tre Jones assists)	34	30
33.3	Jordan Poole misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	34	30
32.2	Zion Williamson offensive rebound	34	30
32.2	Zion Williamson makes dunk	34	32
21.5	Tre Jones makes driving layup	36	32
4.6	Micah Peavy misses 26-foot three point jumper	36	32
1.0	Kevon Looney offensive rebound	36	32
0.0	Kevon Looney misses 7-foot jumper	36	32
0.0	Pelicans offensive team rebound	36	32
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	36	32

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

United Center

Chicago, IL

Date & Time

12:00 AM, January 1, 2026

Coverage

CHSN, GCSEN, Pelicans.com, NBA League Pass

Attendance

20,527

Referees

Pat Fraher, Karl Lane, JD Ralls

2025-26 Southwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
San Antonio	36	16	.692	W4
Houston	32	19	.627	W1
Memphis	20	31	.392	L2
Dallas	19	33	.365	L7
New Orleans	14	40	.259	W1

2025-26 Central Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Detroit	38	13	.745	W1
Cleveland	32	21	.604	W3
Chicago	24	29	.453	L4
Milwaukee	21	29	.420	W3
Indiana	13	39	.250	L3

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Okoro's season-high 24 points lead short-handed Bulls past Pelicans 134-118

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