Cavaliers snap Bulls three-game winning streak |
CHICAGO - It's been a long time since the Chicago Bulls (13-18) have suffered a blowout loss, but that was the case against the Cleveland Cavaliers (17-13) Saturday at the United Center. It's no secret that the Chicago Bulls have been playing much better the past three weeks as they have gone from one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference and are now back into the Playoff conversation.
Even when the team has lost in December, it tends to come down to the wire or is at least a two-possession game as the Bulls continue to show how much better of a team they are. Saturday wasn't one of those days, and it was the first time in over three weeks that this team has suffered a double-digit loss as they lost to the Cavs 109-95. One of the Bulls most significant issues this season has been poor starts in the first quarter, but has changed over the past few weeks. Saturday wasn't their best first quarter, but it wasn't the start they were hoping for as they fell behind early. However, they fought back to pull within 32-30 after one. The second quarter was more of the same as both teams continued to exchange blows, but the Cavs held the narrow 57-56 lead at the half. Once the second half got underway, it was all Cleveland as they outscored the Bulls by 13 over the final 24 minutes. Granted, the Bulls fourth quarter wasn't great, but the third quarter did them in as they were held to 16 points in that quarter while allowing 25 on the defensive end. The overall size of the Cavs proved to be an issue in the second half, and once they got rolling offensively, it was difficult for the Bulls to stop. There was a point early in the season where some were wondering whether or not Demar DeRozan had hit a wall and if age had caught up to him. Sure, he is a step slower than he was a season ago, but his hip seems to be healthier now than earlier in the season, and his play has improved because of it. DeRozan wasn't as efficient as he wanted to be, but with 21 points to lead the Bulls, he continues to have his best-scoring month of the season. He was joined by the big man Nikola Vucevic as he is starting to look like the early season version of himself. Vooch was the Bulls primary offensive weapon in the first half, and despite struggling in the second half he finished with 20 points to go with 12 boards for his fifth double-double in his last six games. One of the biggest reasons the Bulls have been playing so well lately has been the emergence of Coby White, as he has taken over for Zach Lavine as the primary scoring option. White has been the engine that makes this team go and has a legitimate shot to earn Player of the Month honors. White wasn't as sharp as he has been in the past, finishing with 17 points and seven assists, but his 0-8 performance from deep stood out as he couldn't find the range from distance. While those three were the go-to offensive weapons for Chicago, they still had two more players land in double figures, with both coming from the starting lineup. Patrick Williams continued his best stretch of basketball with 13 points, with Alex Caruso adding 10 more to give the Bulls five great options. The problem was that those five accounted for 81 of the team's 95 points as the Bulls bench was non-existent as Dalen Terry led the bench with a career-high six points. When the Cavs traded for Donovan Mitchell last season, they gave away a ton, but it was the right move as they turned into one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. However, with Mitchell unavailable on Saturday, it would be up to other guys to step up, and Max Struss stepped up in a big way. Formally part of the Bulls G-League affiliate several years ago, Struss was dealing with a torn ACL during his tenure with Chicago, thus the reason why Chicago let him go. He then latched on with the Heat to rejuvenate his career before signing a massive free-agent deal with the Cavs this season. With a game-high 26 points, including five triples, Struss continues to show the Bulls they made a mistake letting him go and has fans shaking their heads about why they didn't make an effort for him in free agency. Like Chicago, the Cavs also had a ton of production from their starting five, as all five landed in double figures. Craig Porter continues to play well in place of Darius Garland and added 19 points with seven rebounds and eight assists. The same can be said about Jarrett Allen, who is known for having big games against Chicago. With 19 points and a massive 17 rebounds, Allen continued that story as the Bulls didn't have an answer for him on the inside. In order to have a successful team, you need more than three players to have a good game, and although the other two starters weren't dominating, they still had strong efforts. Isaac Okoro chipped in with 12 points, with Dean Wade adding 11 points and seven boards. Their combined efforts led to 87 combined points as their starting five outscored the Bulls starting five and nearly the entire Bulls roster as the Cavs bench only had 22 points in the game with Georges Niang leading the bench with seven.
