Powell scores 25 as Bulls hold off Bucks 132-125

Norman Powell scored 25 points and the Chicago Bulls held off the Milwaukee Bucks 132-125 on Friday, October 23, by making 28 of 30 free throws after trailing by 15 early.

Powell shot 7 of 20, including 2 of 12 on threes, but went 9 of 9 at the line. Caleb Wilson added 21 points, and Leonard Miller scored 19 off the bench on 7-of-11 shooting.

Chicago (1-1) erased a 26-11 first-quarter deficit. Milwaukee (0-2) is still looking for its first win of the season.

The Bulls scored 44 points in the second quarter, including a 10-0 run that cut the deficit to 49-51. Milwaukee scored 42 in the third, and the game stayed close until Chicago led 115-107 with 7:19 left, its biggest lead of the night.

Tyler Herro pulled the Bucks back with two threes and two free throws on a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter, and Powell and Isaac Okoro answered with baskets. Wilson made four free throws late, and Powell hit two with 20.2 seconds left for a 128-123 lead. Herro's floater with 5.8 seconds left made it 130-125, and Tre Jones closed with two more at the line.

Herro led all scorers with 34 points on 12-of-24 shooting, including 5 of 10 on threes. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 19 points and 11 rebounds but committed six of Milwaukee's 19 turnovers. Chicago had 14.

The free-throw line separated the teams: the Bulls made 28 of 30, the Bucks 14 of 26. Chicago's bench outscored Milwaukee's 59-35, and the Bulls won despite going 12 of 45 on threes.

Up next

Bulls: host the Washington Wizards on Saturday, October 24.

Bucks: visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, October 24.