The Bulls' 16-point lead evaporates as Cleveland mounts a furious second-half comeback. Donovan Mitchell ignites the charge, leaving the Bulls stunned.
The Chicago Bulls built a commanding 16-point halftime lead Saturday night in Cleveland, but a complete second-half collapse resulted in a 128-122 loss to the Cavaliers — their second consecutive defeat on the back-to-back this week.
The Bulls (6-3) appeared in complete control after a dominant second quarter that saw them lead 72-56 at intermission. But the Cavaliers (7-3) stormed back with relentless scoring, erasing the entire deficit and seizing control down the stretch behind Donovan Mitchell's late-game heroics.
Chicago started sloppily, committing two turnovers that allowed Cleveland to jump out to a 7-0 lead. Josh Giddey sparked the response with a steal and transition score, then found Patrick Williams wide open on the right wing for a three to cut it to 5-10. Giddey kept attacking the rim, scoring a contested layup, while Isaac Okoro and Williams combined for back-to-back threes to tie the game at 15.
But Evan Mobley went on a personal 7-0 run, powering inside for an and-one, a dunk, and another foul-drawing drive to restore Cleveland's lead. The Cavaliers pushed a 9-0 run before Chicago responded with four straight fastbreak scores. Mitchell found space for a floater, and Jarrett Allen converted an alley-oop off a long Sam Merrill pass.
Kevin Huerter stepped up with an and-one layup over Allen, and Ayo Dosunmu added four points off the bench. Matas Buzelis closed the first quarter with a back-dribble move that juked Dean White, scoring two to trim the deficit to three.
The second quarter belonged to Chicago, which blasted out 43 points in that frame. Dosunmu and Jalen Smith combined for four points to give the Bulls their first lead. Smith knocked down a three to spark an 11-3 run that pushed the advantage to 43-34. After a timeout, Julian Phillips and Smith provided multiple blocks, and Smith drained a transition three for Chicago's first double-digit lead.
Huerter's pump-fake three beat the shot clock to extend the lead to 15, and despite Cleveland's attempts to rally, the Bulls kept pouring it on. Jones and Okoro combined for five more points to reach a 17-point advantage. Giddey drove through traffic for a layup, and Vucevic and Giddey tallied a quick four-point play that stretched the lead to 19. Merrill's buzzer-beating three sent the Bulls into halftime leading 72-56.
Then everything unraveled.
Mitchell, who started 1-for-10 in the first half, found his rhythm with a tough drive to open the third. Hunter followed with a bucket, and Mobley converted an and-one on Buzelis to ignite a 12-0 run that sliced the deficit to four within three minutes. Jaylen Tyson drained a three from the top to make it a four-point game.
Vucevic and Dosunmu responded with drives, but Hunter kept Cleveland alive with another three. Williams answered with a 26-footer, but Hunter refused to relent, dropping another triple. The Bulls tried to stabilize, but Hunter posterized Giddey with a cross-over and dunk that reduced the gap to five. Giddey limped to the locker room after the play but returned minutes later.
Mitchell caught fire in the crucial stretch, hitting back-to-back threes. Allen's free throw tied the game, and Mitchell's third consecutive three gave Cleveland the lead. Though Smith hit a big-time transition three and Jones added two free throws, the Bulls carried just a two-point advantage into the fourth, having blown their 16-point cushion.
The fourth quarter became a back-and-forth battle. Huerter and Trey Jones hit clutch shots to keep Chicago ahead, but Mitchell answered relentlessly. With 33.4 seconds left and the Bulls leading 122-119, Mitchell drove on Vucevic and converted an and-one to give Cleveland a 123-122 lead.
On Chicago's final possession, Vucevic committed a loose-ball foul, sending Cleveland to the line. Hunter made both free throws. A Cavaliers' 10-0 run to close the game sealed the Bulls' fate, dropping them to 6-3 with back-to-back losses that exposed defensive fragility and an inability to close games.
Read More Chicago Bulls Coverage
MORE: Bulls Up-tempo Offense Stymied by Bucks in 16-point NBA Cup Loss
MORE: Data Dive: Evaluating Josh Giddey's Breakout in Bulls' 6-1 Start
MORE: Billy Donovan Breaks Down Nikola Vucevic's Bulls Game-Winner vs. 76ers
MORE: Patrick Williams Finding His Groove in Sixth-Man Role for Bulls
MORE: Bulls Rookie Noa Essengue Assigned to Windy City Bulls for Further Development