Bulls Torch Wolves 133-116 as Preseason Finale Goes Full Throttle

So much for conservative preseason basketball. The Bulls torched Minnesota 133-116 in a shootout that obliterated DarkHorse's under 234.5 pick, sailing past the total by nearly 15 points. This one was supposed to be a sleepy finale with rest rotations and vanilla offense. Instead, Chicago came out firing like it was Game 7, hanging 133 on a Timberwolves squad that couldn't keep pace despite pushing the tempo themselves.

The reasoning looked solid on paper—preseason finales typically feature shortened minutes, deep benches, and sloppy execution that kills scoring. But someone forgot to tell the Bulls, who shot the lights out and pushed transition opportunities all night. Minnesota matched the energy early but couldn't sustain defensively, allowing Chicago to feast in the paint and from three. The 249-point combined output was pure regular-season intensity, not the disjointed mess we expected.

Credit where it's due: both teams played their starters meaningful minutes and treated this like a tune-up that mattered. That's great for competitive basketball. Brutal for the under. The Timberwolves showed offensive life in defeat, but giving up 133 in October is a defensive red flag worth monitoring. As for the pick? Dead on arrival. Preseason unpredictability strikes again.