Roundup
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks
Oklahoma City Thunder
San Antonio Spurs
Bulls roll past Bucks, Central Division roundup
The Bulls beat the Bucks 125-104 and the Pistons downed Minnesota 128-106, tightening up the early race in the NBA’s Central Division.
By the PickALeague Newsroom · Published · Source: PickALeagueSummary written with AI assistance — how we workLire en français →
The Central Division picture shifted on Thursday night with two decisive wins that tightened an already compact early-season race.
Bulls handle Bucks in one-sided matchup
The Chicago Bulls sent an early message within the division by taking care of the Milwaukee Bucks 125-104. The victory moves Chicago to 2-2 in the Central, putting the Bulls back in the middle of the pack after a split start to their schedule.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, absorbed another setback and dropped to 1-3. The 21-point margin underlines how much the Bucks struggled to match the Bulls’ pace at both ends of the floor. Allowing 125 points while failing to keep up offensively will raise questions for a team widely expected to be among the East’s contenders, even if it’s still very early.
Pistons keep building early momentum
The Detroit Pistons continued their encouraging start by rolling past Minnesota 128-106. The 22-point win lifts Detroit to 2-1 in the Central Division and highlights how dangerous the Pistons’ offense can be when it gets rolling, putting up 128 points and maintaining control throughout.
Combined with Chicago’s performance, Detroit’s strong outing adds to the sense that the Central may be more open than anticipated. For now, the Pistons sit among the early pace-setters and are taking full advantage of their first stretch of games.
Early Central standings still wide open
Behind the Bulls (2-2) and Pistons (2-1), the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers sit at 1-2. Milwaukee brings up the rear at 1-3 after its lopsided loss to Chicago. The spread between teams remains small, but the first week of results is setting an early tone: Chicago and Detroit are cashing in, while Cleveland, Indiana and especially Milwaukee will be looking to respond quickly to avoid slipping further.
On the transaction front, Hoops Rumors reported a series of minor roster moves involving the Spurs, but none directly concerned Central Division teams. For now, the main storylines in the Central continue to be written on the court.