Shorthanded Cavaliers Stun Bulls In Double-Digit Win
No Donovan Mitchell.
No Darius Garland.
No Evan Mobley.
No Caris LeVert.
There were plenty of excuses the Cleveland Cavaliers could have made heading into their matchup with the Chicago Bulls. Instead, this resilient bunch embraced the 'next man up mentality' and pulled off a 109-95 victory on the road.
Let's start here, the Cavaliers only had 10 players available on Saturday night. Nine of them played in the game and they all scored. Five of those players scored in double figures with Max Strus leading the way with 26 points.
Dec 23, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
It wasn't just Strus who came in big for the Cavaliers in this victory. Jarrett Allen finished with 19 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists while Craig Porter Jr. scored 18 points and dished out eight assists.
This just scratches the surface of who stepped upt. Even Damian Jones was asked to play almost 12 minutes off the bench and he finished with the highest +/- of a positive 16.
The Cavs were in control of this game pretty much the entire way. Cleveland held the lead for 39:07 minutes of the game and their largest lead climbed out to 17 points. They also played tremendous defense holding the Bulls to shooting 43% from the field and 22% from behind the arc.
The pure silence when the final buzzer went off at the United Center showed just how stunned the Bulls and their fans were. Chicago was only missing Zach LaVine from their starting lineup and they still couldn't find a way to beat an injured Cavaliers squad.
There's no other way to describe this win than pure heart. Everyone who touched the floor for the Cavs contributed to this win and should be proud of it. The Cavs have met all of the adversity they've faced head-on and now are winners of four of their last five games.
Cleveland now gets a three-day break for the holiday before taking on the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
