CHICAGO — Was that an early playoff preview?
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls — two franchises finally emerging from the rebuild darkness — surprisingly sit near the top of the wide-open Eastern Conference. Both look primed to make the postseason for the first time in a while. Both showed why Wednesday night — even though Chicago snapped Cleveland’s five-game winning streak, 117-104.
The Cavaliers, who haven’t made the postseason without LeBron James since 1998 and tumbled into oblivion following his departure to Los Angeles in the summer of 2018, got a small taste of what late April could be like if they continue on this same trajectory and stay true to the identity they’ve established.
The packed building had the feel of a playoff atmosphere, with fans standing throughout the fourth quarter, clinging to every possession and erupting after each big shot. The back-and-forth game felt like the kind that is reserved for months from now as well. There were 11 lead changes and five ties. That’s expected with two of the best teams in the East.
Down nine entering the fourth quarter and trailing by 10 at the 7:22 mark, the Cavs kept scrapping. Second-year swingman Isaac Okoro even had a chance to tie the game with a pair of free throws about three minutes later. But Okoro split the pair, keeping Cleveland behind by one. The Cavs couldn’t get any closer. MVP candidate DeMar DeRozan and burly center Nikola Vucevic came through in the clutch for Chicago, ending any hopes of another Cleveland comeback.
The Bulls, who played without usual starters Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball, finished the game on a 14-2 run.
DeRozan had a game-high 30 points, including eight in the fourth quarter. Vucevic added 24 points and 12 rebounds, overwhelming Cleveland’s All-Star hopeful counterpart Jarrett Allen.
“He’s a great player and was playing with a high sense of purpose,” Bickerstaff said of DeRozan. “You give him credit tonight. I thought there were areas where we could have improved, but I tip my hat to him and all those guys. Vucevic is an All-Star, and has been for a reason. When guys go out and win a game, you got to give them credit for it.”
Lauri Markkanen, once considered a cornerstone of Chicago’s rebuild, sent a reminder why. Markkanen delivered his best game since joining the Cavaliers in an offseason trade that created a unique, tall-ball look that has given opponents fits. In his first regular-season appearance in Chicago, back at the arena he called home for four years, Markkanen poured in 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting and 5-of-9 from 3-point range.
“It was good to see a couple shots go down,” Markkanen said. “Just try to stay aggressive. Even if I missed the last one, it was a good shot and you take that again and try to get a different result. It’s fun to see the guys that I created a relationship with and bonded with a couple years. Good to see the familiar faces and seeing a couple of my jerseys in the crowd always feels good. A little different on the opposing team but it was fun.”
Point guard Darius Garland had another double-double, scoring 20 points to go with 12 assists. The ascending youngster had a brief injury scare early in the fourth quarter after a baseline collision with Malcolm Hill. Garland clutched his left shoulder and walked to the bench in agony. During the timeout, Garland chatted with trainer Steve Spiro and was able to stay in the game. A source tells cleveland.com that the initial feel is Garland suffered a stinger was feeling “OK” after.
Rookie Evan Mobley, taking advantage of a size mismatch, tallied 18 points. It’s his 13th straight game scoring double figures.
“They were really shrinking the paint and just really trying to collapse on us,” Mobley said of Chicago’s strategy to combat the size disadvantage. “I feel like they did a good job with that. We just got to move the ball more, create rotations and then get it back inside. That’s a thing we can learn from that game.”
About three months ago, the new-look Cavs opened the preseason with a clunker in Chicago. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff called it their first lesson. That horrible night seemed like an ominous sign for the team’s turnaround hopes. Only the Cavs used that loss. It helped them evolve. Made them better. Cleveland is much different these days — a legitimate postseason contender.
But on Wednesday night, they got another teaching moment courtesy of Chicago. Their hope: This one will have the same positive effect.
“It’s an example of what it takes to win in this league,” Bickerstaff said following the loss. “They’re a really good team, and they have really good players. To go on the road against a team that had lost four games in a row, they were going to come out with that sense of purpose. Now it’s our opportunity to understand it and see if we can figure out our way through it. We’ll keep getting tested. But I trust in our guys, that every time we’ve been tested, we’ve responded. I bet we’ll continue to do that.”
Making progress
Backup point guard Rajon Rondo, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury, didn’t accompany the team. Instead, Rondo was in Cleveland practicing with the G League affiliate Charge. Bickerstaff said the feedback from Charge coaches was positive and Rondo continues to make progress. The plan is for Rondo to practice ahead of Saturday’s game to see how his hamstring recovers after increased exertion. If all goes well, Rondo could make his return this weekend.
Up next
The Cavs will return home for a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
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