The Chicago Bulls will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight in Josh Giddey's first game with his original team since being traded last summer. In June 2024, Alex Caruso was shipped to OKC for the Australian point guard, a win-win trade for the two sides. The top-seeded Thunder added one of the league's best perimeter defenders and a solid three-point threat in limited capacity. At the same time, the Bulls gained a 22-year-old point guard with top-tier facilitating and length at the position. The last four years of sub-par performances at the position put a newfound urgency on filling the void, coupled with Caruso headed for free agency after this season, so many saw it as Karnisovas's first intelligent move. While Giddey will steal the headlines in his homecoming game against the team that originally drafted him, here's the under-the-radar storyline to watch tonight.
Coby White Versus Alex Caruso
Coby White has been one of the most outstanding guards in basketball this month. He's already got two Eastern Conference Player of the Week nods, is averaging 29.1 points per night, and has four games of over 35. Averaging 20.0 shot attempts per game and 6.9 free-throw shots, he's the highest volume scorer in Chicago since LaVine's departure. He has embraced his new role with aggression and efficiency, similar to his incredible second half of last season. Caruso will likely draw the assignment tonight and will be no stranger to White's tricks and signature moves. The duo spent three seasons with the Bulls, including the last two, where Caruso was awarded All-Defensive team nominations for his efforts. Who will get the best of their former teammate in their first marquee matchup?
Coby White 24-25 Clutch Moments pic.twitter.com/JvdW1JD6Xq
— BOOG (@BoogCB) March 31, 2025
Birthday Boy Coby White gets a hug from Caruso pic.twitter.com/xZMNZXcM9J
— ✶ Ⓜ️𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ▶️ ✶ (@_MarcusD3_) February 17, 2022
A Good Test For Red-Hot Bulls
A win tonight would be the most impressive of Chicago's season. The Thunder are riding a nine-game winning streak, are 32-5 at home, and have the best record in the entire NBA. The Bulls have won nine out of 12 outings and are 2.5 games behind the Orlando Magic for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and White are playing the best in their respective careers, carrying the Bulls through March. Can they pull off another Western Conference playoff team upset tonight?
Josh Giddey is back where it all began.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 31, 2025
Bulls-Thunder coming up tonight. pic.twitter.com/xcT9raeNH3
With a victory tonight, the league would be put on notice. Their buzzer-beating heave to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers turned some heads, but beating the Thunder in Oklahoma City would catapult the attention to a new level. After tonight, the Bulls will only have one other playoff opponent in their final seven games. Win or lose tonight, things will get easier as they prepare for the Play-In tournament again after the regular season's conclusion, but tonight's meeting will have a playoff-type atmosphere given the stakes.
