Bulls Nearly Erase 29-Point Second-Half Deficit in Loss to Cavaliers

What originally appeared to be another devastating blowout loss for the Chicago Bulls turned into an encapsulation of the team's grit and perseverance.

With 1:40 remaining in the third quarter on Thursday night, the Bulls trailed the Cavaliers, 93-64. That 29-point deficit could've sunk the Bulls, as it did during the team's five other 30-point losses this season. Instead, Chicago closed the game on a 46-22 run.

The Bulls didn't beat the Cavs, eventually falling to the No. 4 team in the Eastern Conference, 115-110. However, they did show fight in an otherwise meaningless game, which is about as much as you can ask for from a team that is searching for any strand of hope to grab onto.

James Harden (36 points) and Evan Mobley (26) were lethal from everywhere on the court and helped hold off the surging Bulls down the stretch with timely baskets.

Six Chicago players finished in double figures, led by 20 points from Tre Jones. Rob Dillingham scored a season-high 17 points, while Nick Richards ended with 16 and Guerschon Yabusele notched a double-double.

Josh Giddey only logged nine points, but dished out a career-best 19 assists. He is the first Chicago Bull since Ennis Whatley (1985) to tally at least 19 assists in a game and the fourth player in team history to achieve the feat.

Chicago drops to 28-42 on the season, remaining the fourth-worst team in the Eastern Conference and the ninth-worst team in the NBA. Cleveland (43-27) keeps its spot as the No. 4 seed in the East with 12 games to go.

The Bulls started hot with an 11-2 run, but Harden quickly brought the Cavaliers back to take the lead. Collin Sexton committed a flagrant foul on a made Harden three-pointer, and after knocking down a free throw, Cleveland's point guard connected from long range again.

Chicago and Cleveland traded baskets until a streak of eight consecutive points pulled the Cavs ahead. Harden ended the quarter with a second four-point play that gave his team a 32-22 lead after one.

The Cavaliers' success continued, even when Harden was off the court. Cleveland began the second quarter with 13 unanswered points and grew its lead to as large as 23. Following the Bulls' 16-14 advantage, Billy Donovan's squad allowed the Cavs to go on a 31-6 run over the span of roughly eight minutes.

Turnovers and fouls were the story for Chicago, which entered the half in a 61-45 hole. The Bulls gave the ball away eight times in the second quarter for a total of 12 turnovers through the game's midpoint. Meanwhile, the Cavs took 19 shots at the charity stripe, compared to just four for the Bulls.

Cleveland's lead continued to grow in the second half, but more importantly for the Bulls, the third quarter became Dillingham's time to shine. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft drilled four of his seven shots — including a pair of triples — to mark a season-high 17 points. He only played one minute in the fourth, due to his five fouls.

The Bulls refused to quit, despite the massive deficit, and they used a 20-4 run to turn the Cavaliers' 29-point lead into just a 13-point margin at the start of the fourth. Leonard Miller had played just nine minutes over the first three quarters, but became a critical component for Donovan in the final frame. He scored all 10 of his points in the fourth while playing physical defense.

Yabusele hit a three-pointer, and shortly after, Jones went 2-of-2 at the line to make it 103-102. After trailing by 29 points, the Bulls had used a 38-10 run to trim their deficit to just one.

Unfortunately for Chicago, Harden and Mobley made several clutch shots that kept the Bulls at bay. Cleveland held on for the five-point win to claim its third victory in the last four games.

The Bulls have now lost 15 of 19 games since the trade deadline and will have three days off before hosting the Rockets on Monday.