How the Bulls Can Stun the Cavaliers for a Second Straight Game

Did the Chicago Bulls get lucky or did they clear a hurdle?

If one thing is for sure, nobody expected this stumbling group to take down the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Even with Donovan Mitchell and Co. facing their own struggles over the past couple of weeks, they were the clear favorites heading into this matchup. That's what happens when you're going up against a squad that stacked up losses to the Pelicans, Pacers, and Hornets!

Fast forward to the final buzzer, and the Chicago Bulls looked nothing like the team that plummeted down the East standings since mid-November. Instead, they pulled off the shocking double-digit victory and dominated the Cavs in almost every facet.

So, what went right for the first time in weeks? Let's talk about it.

Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Matchup Notes

Donovan Mitchell of the Cavaliers facing off against Isaac Okoro of the Chicago Bulls — Dec 17, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) passes the ball away from Chicago Bulls forward Isaac Okoro (35) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

• Billy Donovan sure wishes he had a real-life copy-and-paste button. Wednesday night's performance against Cleveland was arguably the best he has seen from this group all season long. And a big reason for that was the high-quality ball movement. Much like we saw over the first handful of games this year, the Bulls looked completely bought in to moving without the basketball and hustling in transition. They trusted each other to make the right read and take the right shot, leading to a season-high 56.0 percent shooting display. Their 35 assists also marked their third-most in any game this season.

• Josh Giddey and Tre Jones were the catalysts of this offensive outburst. They combined for 22 of the team's assists, each finishing the night with a double-double (Giddey even had his sixth triple-double of the year). Not only was their passing contagious, but the same can be said about their transition speed. Chicago outscored Cleveland by 11 in the fastbreak department. Keeping their foot on the gas tonight will be key. While the Cavs have typically been good at matching tempo and scoring their own points in transition, they have really struggled over the last week or so. They have averaged only 11.8 fastbreak points over their past four games, which is the sixth-fewest in the NBA.

• The Bulls continue to feel like they are catching the Cavs at the perfect time. For whatever reason, this offense has been completely out of sync. Over the last ten games, only three teams have recorded a worse field goal percentage than the Cavaliers (44.6), which has undoubtedly played a big role in their 3-7 record. Even more concerning for Kenny Atkinson's team, there is no group that has shot worse behind the arc over this stretch (31.5). And this comes despite the Cavs still shooting the third-most attempts in the NBA!

• To be sure, if Cleveland does get hot behind the arc, this could spell trouble for the Bulls. We know they can struggle to defend the three-point line, and they have also been prone to plenty of off-shooting nights of their own. Indeed, it's not like Chicago has shot particularly well from long range over their last 10 games either. They rank only 24th in the NBA with a 33.6 percent success rate. This is why continuing to attack in the open floor and establishing a downhill mentality is essential for this offense. They were on a streak of settling for far too many deep jumpers in recent games, but they finally snapped out of that on Wednesday and were far more particular about their shots.

• Speaking of attacking the rim, Evan Mobley's absence created a clear advantage for Chicago. With the less agile Jarrett Allen on the floor, the Bulls were able to slice and dice their way inside all night long. They shot 29-37 in the restricted area, and they also used this easy penetration to create some wide-open three-point opportunities near the top of the key. From an offensive standpoint, continuing to get into the teeth of this Cavs' defense and creating from within is the recipe as long as Mobley is sidelined.

• Can the Bulls recreate their shockingly successful night on the defensive end? While the Cavs did still manage to shoot upwards of 48.0 percent from the field, the Bulls were able to force them into 20 turnovers. Sure, Cleveland bailed them out with a few sloppy plays, but the Bulls were arguably as active as we have seen them on that end this season. Five players finished with 2+ steals, and they ultimately scored 21 points off the Cavs' mistakes. There is no question that these cough-ups from Cleveland helped Chicago set their preferred tone offensively, so what will happen if Cleveland controls the ball better tonight? How can the Bulls potentially make up for a dip in fastbreak opportunities?

• If Chicago does happen to walk away with a second-straight victory, check back at the bench stats. This felt like a potential difference-maker heading into Wednesday's game, and it proved to be exactly that. The Bulls won the bench points battle 38-27. Three members of Chicago's second unit scored 10+ points. One of those players was Tre Jones, who also happened to dish 11 assists and finish an impressive +20. Cleveland is second-to-last in bench points this season and has seen their lack of scoring depth become a serious problem. If the Bulls can take full advantage of the minutes Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are off the floor tonight, they could find themselves in a position to steal another one.