Chicago Bulls First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Matas Buzelis scored the Bulls’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 19 times in 77 starts, or 25% of the games they started. Nikola Vucevic was next with 10. The Bulls made the game’s first field goal in 33% of their 82 games and won 36% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Bulls in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any CHI player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for CHI | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matas Buzelis | 77 | 19 | 25% | 7 | 9% |
| Nikola Vucevic | 48 | 10 | 21% | 4 | 8% |
| Tre Jones | 41 | 10 | 24% | 4 | 10% |
| Josh Giddey | 51 | 8 | 16% | 3 | 6% |
| Isaac Okoro | 62 | 7 | 11% | 2 | 3% |
| Jalen Smith | 21 | 7 | 33% | 1 | 5% |
| Coby White | 26 | 6 | 23% | 3 | 12% |
| Patrick Williams | 6 | 4 | 67% | 0 | 0% |
| Collin Sexton | 10 | 3 | 30% | 2 | 20% |
| Guerschon Yabusele | 19 | 2 | 11% | 0 | 0% |
| Ayo Dosunmu | 10 | 2 | 20% | 0 | 0% |
| Leonard Miller | 12 | 1 | 8% | 1 | 8% |
| Kevin Huerter | 11 | 1 | 9% | 0 | 0% |
| Anfernee Simons | 5 | 1 | 20% | 0 | 0% |
| Lachlan Olbrich | 2 | 1 | 50% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Bulls scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 82 | 27 | 33% |
| Home | 41 | 11 | 27% |
| Away | 41 | 16 | 39% |
| Regular season | 82 | 27 | 33% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Vucevic | 43 | 14 | 33% |
| Matas Buzelis | 16 | 8 | 50% |
| Jalen Smith | 10 | 3 | 30% |
| Guerschon Yabusele | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Nick Richards | 4 | 2 | 50% |
| Patrick Williams | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Leonard Miller | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Lachlan Olbrich | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Team | 80 | 29 | 36% |
How the Bulls’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Layup | 33 | 40% |
| 3-pointer | 28 | 34% |
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 16 | 20% |
| Dunk | 5 | 6% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for CHI | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Vucevic | 73 | 19 | 26% | 5 | 7% |
| Coby White | 74 | 13 | 18% | 5 | 7% |
| Josh Giddey | 70 | 11 | 16% | 5 | 7% |
| Patrick Williams | 36 | 9 | 25% | 4 | 11% |
| Zach LaVine | 42 | 7 | 17% | 2 | 5% |
| Ayo Dosunmu | 26 | 7 | 27% | 0 | 0% |
| Lonzo Ball | 14 | 6 | 43% | 4 | 29% |
| Matas Buzelis | 32 | 4 | 12% | 1 | 3% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Bulls?
Matas Buzelis, with 19 of the Bulls’ first baskets in 2025-26 (25% of their 77 starts), ahead of Nikola Vucevic with 10.
How often do the Bulls score first?
The Bulls made the first field goal in 27 of 82 games in 2025-26 (33%): 27% at home and 39% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Bulls?
Nikola Vucevic took 43 of the Bulls’ 80 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 33% of them.
Is Matas Buzelis a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 25% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.