With 6:21 left to go in the Chicago Bulls' second game of the year, Tiago Splitter showed just how much trust he has in his rookie.
The starting unit had played from behind essentially all night long. It was the bench mob that dragged the Bulls back from a 15-point deficit and put them in a real position to win the game. This is exactly why Chicago's new head coach chose to ride the second unit down the stretch. The only adjustment he made was to swap second-year forward Noa Essengue out for his No. 4 overall pick.
Splitter made the right call.
Caleb Wilson Plays Hero in Second NBA Game
Not only did the Bulls proceed to close out their first win of 2026-27, but Wilson iced the game. Tied 123-123 with 1:16 left on the clock, the rookie remained calm and drew a foul on Kasparas Jakucionis. He would sink both free throws before Tre Jones stole the ball back with under a minute remaining. Can you guess who forced his way to the charity stripe again?
Wilson knocked down to more clutch free throws to put the Bulls up 126-123. Tyler Herro attempted to tie things up with a three at the top of the key, only for Wilson to corral the rebound. After Norman Powell had his own trip to the line, Wilson capped off his big second half by jumping a passing lane and snagging the steal with 15 seconds to go.
Were the Bulls playing a similarly dysfunctional and rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks team? Sure, but that doesn't make Wilson's fourth-quarter effort any less impressive. This was just his SECOND official NBA game. To have that level of composure – let alone confidence – in the clutch is part of what makes him such a tantalizing prospect.
Indeed, while plenty of rookies will say they want the spotlight on them, actually coming through in your first opportunity is pretty darn rare. But Wilson never had a doubt.
“I always feel like toward the end of the game, I’m going to do the right thing," Wilson said after the game. "And I love those moments because they show who you really are. One thing for me is just proving myself right. If I want to be the guy, I have to prove myself right and do clutch things the final moment. Just having an opportunity to do that is big, especially in an NBA game, especially my second one.”
Look, some will call out that Wilson merely made four free throws. It's not like he nailed a dagger three-pointer or a poster dunk. But Wilson deserves a lot of credit for putting his head down and recognizing the advantage he had athletically. Likewise, free throws became a real question for Wilson during the offseason. He struggled to convert both in Summer League and the preseason. Nevertheless, with the spotlight the brightest it's been yet, he made the shots with ease.
No one is saying that Wilson deserves to steal the "iceman" nickname from his fellow Chicago Caleb. However, the rookie is absolutely right: If he wants to be the guy this franchise needs, those are the exact moments when he needs to show up.
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