The Cavs(1-1) came into Chicago(1-2) on Saturday night to battle the Bulls for the first of four matchups between the two teams this season.
Cleveland, who was without Darius Garland(eye), fell to the Raptors in Toronto in their season opener, while the Bulls were playing the second half of a back-to-back after losing to the Wizards in D.C. on Friday night.
The Cavs played like the fresher team, and after a slow start in the first quarter, Cleveland dominated the rest of the way. They led by as many as 19 in the first half, and Cleveland had their biggest lead of 32 in the fourth quarter as the Cavs crushed the Bulls 128-96 at United Center.
According to Elias Sports, the Cavs’ 32-point win in Chicago was the team’s largest margin of victory against the Bulls franchise.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Bulls.
The Great:
First Half: Cleveland scored 70 points in the first half on 63% shooting, including 71% from deep. They were red-hot in that first half, which carried them to a 70-54 lead at the break.
‘Spyda’: Mitchell, who handled the point guard duties with Garland out, had a game-high 32 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. In addition, according to Elias Sports, Mitchell became the first player in team history to open a season with back-to-back 30-point games. He’s special!
Bench: Cedi Osman and Kevin Love were a big spark off the bench. Osman had 10 points in the first half, and Love scored nine points in the first quarter, including 3-3 from deep. Love finished the night with 15 points and 12 rebounds, including five threes. Osman added 15 points and was a team-best +41. Also, Robin Lopez chipped in with 12 points(6-7 FG). After getting 33 points from its bench against Toronto, the Cavs got 56 points from the bench on Saturday night.
Fourth Quarter: On Thursday night against the Raptors, the Cavs led by eight as they entered the fourth quarter, and Toronto outscored them 32-21 to take control of the game. Saturday night was a different story. Cleveland, who led 93-79 entering the fourth, outscored Chicago 35-17 in the quarter, holding the Bulls to 235% shooting from the field. In addition, the Cavs shot 50% from the floor, including 63% from downtown(5/8). They lost the game in the fourth against Toronto, but against Chicago, they closed this game the right way.
Three-point shooting: Cleveland shot 16/27 from deep(595%). Love led the way with five, and Mitchell connected on four threes. The Cavs finished the game shooting 565% from the field. That’s impressive, that’s big time, and that’s one reason they’re 1-1.
Not So Great
When you win by 32 points, it’s usually all good. However, Cleveland did have 18 turnovers, which is a bit high.
Bottom Line:
This was a nice bounce-back win for the Cavs. The energy was great, and Mitchell was great. Just an overall solid team effort. One thing is clear; this team has depth, athleticism, and talent, which could help them compete night in and night out. It’s 2 of 82, but you have to like what you see so far from the Cavs.
What’s Next:
Cleveland will play the second half of a back-to-back as they host the Wizards(2-0) in their home-opener at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday.
Best of the Rest:
The Cavs had six players in double figures on Saturday night. Evan Mobley had 16 points, and Caris LeVert added 14 points and eight assists.
For the Bulls, Zach LaVine, who made his season debut, led the way with 23 points, and Nikola Vucevic added 16.
