NBA Recap: Chicago Bulls 88 - Cleveland Cavaliers 83
Chicago Bulls handed the Cleveland Cavaliers their sixth straight loss by beating them at Quicken Loans Arena, 88-83.
Crowd-Puller Contest
The meeting draws 20,562 basketball fans at Quicken Loans Arena who enjoyed every moment of the victory of the visiting team. The crowd was stupefying, especially when you consider the blizzard that rocked downtown Cleveland and kept traffic
at a standstill not long before tipoff. Moreover, those in attendance were been treated to the Cavaliers’ best game in about two weeks.
Ruling Players
Derrick Rose finished with game-high 29 points and eight assists. Joakim Noah provided 13 points and 14 rebounds. Kyle Korver added 12 off the bench on 5-for-10 shooting.
The Cavaliers, losers of six straight, were led by Antawn Jamison's 21 points, 6 assists, and 5 turnovers. Anderson Varejao added 17 points and 12 rebounds in the setback.
Play to the crowd
It was ugly, but a 5-point win is exactly what the Bulls needed. It was not a thing of beauty, although it started out that way, but as was said more than once in the game thread, a win is a win. Stifling, turnover-causing defence led to easy baskets on
the offensive end, the host kept every aspect under full control; however, the dexterous Rose turned their efforts down with his three-pointer.
"We didn't get the outcome that we were looking for, but that's something to build on, because I thought our guys played hard for the first time in a while," said Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott.
Cavaliers seemed out of their element in the first quarter, as the Bulls raced out to a 21-15 lead.
Chicago opened the game on a 10-0 run before taking a 21-15 lead to the second quarter. Cleveland used an eight-point run late in the half to make the score a respectable one, but the Bulls countered with an eight-point burst of their own to take a 41-35
lead into the break.
The third quarter was close until Cleveland ended it with nine consecutive points. Williams' runner with time expiring gave the Cavaliers a 68-60 lead moving to the fourth.
The Cavaliers fought hard took an 83-82 lead on a free throw from Anderson Varejao at the 26-second mark, and seven seconds later, Rose made the play of the evening. It was a drive from the right baseline in which Mo Williams fouled him. Rose made both
the basket and the ensuing free throw, giving the Bulls an 85-83 lead and making it clear he would not be denied when it meant the most.
It was Bull’s third consecutive win and 12th of the season. "We'll take any win we can get. We didn't play our best and they played very well."
-- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau
Rising Star
Swingman Ronnie Brewer came off the bench to shoot 4-for-5 for nine points and grab eight rebounds. He may not yet be worth adding to Bull’s roster now, but they might want to keep an eye on him for down the road. Especially if he continues to play 29 minutes,
like the way he is doing now days.
A Nasty Piece of Work
The Cavaliers’ starting backcourt of Daniel Gibson and Williams gave gutsy performances. They combined to make just 9 of 34 shots.
Unsung Players
Cavaliers’ Jamario Moon, who has been starting most of the season, was inactive. Joey Graham, who had started the last several games, also saw no action.
Quote of the Game
"Losing sucks. ... But if we play hard like that every night, I can live with that,”
said Byron Scott.
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