If you turned off the TV during the fourth quarter of the December 21st matchup between the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls, honestly, nobody could blame you. At that point, it looked like a standard NBA shootout. But then the game morphed into something else entirely—a 152-150 absolute marathon that reminded everyone why this specific Eastern Conference pairing has become the league’s most chaotic, must-watch rivalry in 2026.
People talk about "offensive-minded" basketball. This wasn't just that. It was a statistical fever dream.
The Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls haven't just been playing basketball this season; they’ve been staging track meets with a hoop at either end. When you see a final score of 152-150, your first thought is probably "double overtime," right? Wrong. They did that in 48 minutes. It was the kind of game where if you blinked, you missed a 10-0 run.
Why the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls Are Breaking Scoreboards
The dynamic has shifted. For years, the Bulls were trying to find an identity post-LaVine, while the Hawks were constantly tinkering around Trae Young. Now, both teams have leaned into a high-pace, high-variance style that creates these explosive head-to-head scenarios.
Look at the rosters. Chicago has fully committed to the "Giddey-Ball" era. Josh Giddey, currently averaging nearly a triple-double this season, has turned the Bulls into a transition nightmare. He's pushing the ball before the opponent even realizes the shot went in. On the other side, the Hawks have paired Trae Young with more length, but they haven't slowed down one bit.
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The Jalen Johnson Leap
If you aren't paying attention to Jalen Johnson, you're missing the most important development in Atlanta. During that December 21st heartbreaker, Johnson dropped 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He's no longer just a "promising wing." He's the guy taking the pressure off Trae.
Trae Young still does Trae things—like dropping 35 points and 9 assists in a single night—but the Bulls have found a weirdly effective way to counter him: they just out-depth him. In their most recent wins against Atlanta, Chicago has had as many as nine players score in double figures.
- Matas Buzelis is looking like a Rookie of the Year lock, recently putting up 28 points against the Hawks.
- Nikola Vučević remains the ultimate "professional bucket-getter," feasting on Atlanta's interior defense.
- Coby White has evolved into a closer who doesn't care about your defensive rotations.
What Most Fans Get Wrong About This Matchup
There’s a common misconception that these games are high-scoring because the defense is "lazy." That’s a casual take. If you actually watch the tape of the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls games this season, the intensity is through the roof.
The scores are high because the pace is astronomical.
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Chicago is currently 3rd in the NBA in pace. Atlanta isn't far behind. When two teams with elite passing—Giddey for the Bulls and Young for the Hawks—refuse to walk the ball up the court, you end up with 302 total points in a game. It’s not bad defense; it’s just overwhelming offense.
The Kristaps Porziņģis Factor
One thing that skewed the recent December series was the absence of Kristaps Porziņģis. The Hawks brought him in to be the ultimate rim protector and "Unicorn" floor spacer. Without him in the lineup during the Christmas-week games, the Bulls' guards—specifically Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu—treated the paint like a layup line.
When Porziņģis is healthy, the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls matchups look a lot different. He forces Vučević out to the perimeter, which opens up lanes for Jalen Johnson to fly. Without him, the Hawks' defense lacks that verticality, and Chicago's size becomes a massive problem.
A Rivalry Built on Statistical Anomalies
It’s rare to see a season series where one team wins by two points and then three points in back-to-back games. That’s what happened in late December 2025. Chicago took both, but the margin for error was non-existent.
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| Key Stat | Chicago Bulls (Dec 21) | Atlanta Hawks (Dec 21) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Points | 152 | 150 |
| Field Goal % | 51% | 51% |
| Assists | 41 | 31 |
| Top Scorer | Buzelis (28) | Johnson (36) |
Chicago's 41 assists in that game tells you everything. They aren't iso-heavy anymore. They move the rock.
The Future of the Hawks-Bulls Dynamic
So, where does this go? The Bulls currently have the upper hand in the 2025-2026 season series, holding a 3-0 lead as of mid-January. But "dominance" is the wrong word. Every game has been a coin flip.
The Hawks are basically a different team at home versus on the road. At State Farm Arena, the crowd fuels that Trae Young energy, but they’ve struggled to close out the Bulls in the fourth quarter. Billy Donovan has out-coached the Hawks' staff in late-game situations recently, primarily by using Josh Giddey as a decoy to let Coby White operate in space.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're betting on or analyzing the next Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls game, keep these three things in mind:
- Watch the Turnover Margin: In their 126-123 loss, the Hawks actually forced more turnovers (23-7) but couldn't capitalize because the Bulls dominated the paint 64-58. If Atlanta cleans up their interior defense, the Bulls' sloppiness will catch up to them.
- The Buzelis Effect: Matas Buzelis is the X-factor. When he’s hitting his threes (he went 7-for-something crazy in December), the Hawks don't have a defender quick enough to stay with him and strong enough to keep him off the glass.
- Live Betting is Your Friend: These teams trade 15-point leads like they’re nothing. If one team goes up big in the second quarter, don't assume it's over. The variance in their shooting styles almost guarantees a comeback attempt.
The Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls might not be the "classic" rivalry of the 90s, but for the modern NBA fan, it’s the gold standard of entertainment. It’s fast, it’s loud, and it’s probably going to end with someone scoring 140 points.
To stay ahead of the curve on this matchup, track the injury report specifically for Kristaps Porziņģis. His presence or absence is the single biggest swing factor in whether Atlanta can finally break their losing streak against this new-look Chicago squad. Keep an eye on the transition scoring stats in the first six minutes of the next game; whoever wins the fast-break battle almost always dictates the final result in this series.