CLEVELAND — The rough patches continued for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday in a 136-125 loss to the Chicago Bulls. The Cavaliers have now lost three straight and five of their last seven games.
This game wasn’t much different than any other game the Cavaliers have lost recently. They started strong, fell behind in the second quarter, fought back in the third and fourth quarters, but couldn’t do enough in the final seconds to win.
advertise
It didn’t help that the Cavaliers received word earlier today that Donovan Mitchell and Craig Porter Jr. were out with illnesses. They join Cleveland’s list of players missing, including Evan Mobley (calf), Sam Merrill (hand) and Max Struth (foot).
Support us and let them know and pay tribute!
Anything purchased from the link helps support fear of sword. You can also buy all of Homage’s Cavs gear here. A link to the new City Edition jersey can be found here.
Cleveland was tied after the first quarter but lost by 11 points in the second quarter. This was a recurring theme throughout the competition.
advertise
Riding Jarrett Allen’s 10 points, the Cavaliers fought back and briefly took a 2-point lead midway through the third quarter. That didn’t last long, however, as Chicago quickly regained the lead.
The Cavaliers had a chance to win the game down the stretch, but they couldn’t string together the offense and score like they needed to. A lack of defense and no counterattack in transition once again put them in trouble.
Darius Garland was one of the few bright spots of the night. He played his best performance on the court this season, making 13 of 27 shots, including 6 of 12 three-pointers, and scored a season-high 35 points. Garland also added eight assists and a steal.
On one hand, it’s frustrating that the Cavs can’t get past a mediocre Bulls team when Garland is having such a great game. On the other hand, it’s encouraging to see Garland look more like his All-Star self. If the Cavaliers want to reach their potential, they will need Garland and his other injured teammates to be back in shape for the 2024-25 regular season.
advertise
Tyrese Proctor made the most of his opportunity to start Friday. He made 6 of 15 shots and scored 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored 15 points off the bench on 6-for-14 shooting. Allen made 6 of 9 shots and scored 14 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists.
The Bulls are led by Nikola Vucevic and Matas Buzelis. Both of them scored 24 points. Coby White had 13 points and nine assists in the win.
The loss brings the Cavaliers’ record to 15-14. They’ll have a chance to bounce back when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.