Swift ball movement and elite shooting ignited a high-tempo attack, overwhelming Cleveland as the Bulls rediscovered their winning identity.
Wishing an ascending Chicago team with swift ball movement and elite shooting could be permanent, and that was what the group looked like on Wednesday night.
The Chicago Bulls temporarily snapped their recent tough stretch, dismantling the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-111. The Bulls reclaimed their identity after an average first quarter, overwhelming the guest team with a high-tempo basketball.
Remember Billy Donovan's quality-shot focus? They did it the next day, outshooting 10-8 against their opponents at 40% from beyond the arc.
Coby White led the scoreboard with 25 points, while Josh Giddey posted a triple-double (23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists). The backcourt duo combined for eight threes (14 team threes overall). Nikola Vucevic also followed with a 20-point piece, corralling nine boards.
On the Cleveland side, Donovan Mitchell produced 32 points with five assists. Jaylon Tyson contributed 21 points
White weaved through traffic for an early four-point surge, but Cleveland seized an early lead after Darius Garland and Tyson knocked down treys. The Bulls immediately responded with Matas Buzelis' finger-roll drive, then cut the deficit with back-to-back threes from Giddey and White before the first timeout.
Garland faced off against Kevin Huerter and hit a deep three. Tyson and Jarrett Allen added five more points, establishing a 12-point lead. After a Bulls timeout, Chicago rallied with five points from Huerter and Giddey. Following defensive stops, Zach Collins drained an open three, and Tre Jones scored a reverse driving layup.
The Bulls forced two Cleveland turnovers. Jones capitalized in transition with a fastbreak bucket. Huerter juked a defender with a feint and knocked down a corner three. Jalen Smith found a driving lane from the corner and slammed it home, giving the Bulls their first lead at 33-32. The Cavs regained a one-point edge after Craig Porter Jr. responded with a driving layup.
Through a pick-and-roll, Jones found Isaac Okoro cutting inside the paint. Jones then forced another steal and sparked a fastbreak. Smith grabbed his own miss for a putback, retaking the lead for Chicago.
The Bulls went cold momentarily, and the Cavs reclaimed the lead after a De'Andre Hunter triple. Okoro crashed the offensive glass and scored a putback.
Patrick Williams came off the bench with a long jumper. Allen scored a hook on the right post after a Bulls turnover. Giddey and Vucevic combined for four points. Huerter blasted another triple from the weak side to build a five-point lead.
Cleveland cut it back to one on buckets from Tyson and Garland. Collins connected with Jones on an alley-oop, then grabbed a second-chance opportunity after Allen responded with a dunk. Through crisp ball movement, Giddey launched a contested three. Collins collected the miss and put it back while drawing contact. Despite missing the free throw, White stepped up with an and-one in transition, establishing a three-point lead.
In the final possession before halftime, Jones forced his third steal and found Giddey open for a three. The Bulls led 62-58 at the break.
Chicago continued its hot streak to open the third quarter. Led by Vucevic's intact shooting, the Bulls poured in seven quick points to build an 11-point lead, forcing a Cavs timeout.
Cleveland responded with four straight points from Allen and Garland, but Buzelis—held to just two points in the first half—broke his silence with a drive. White pulled the trigger from beyond the arc with consecutive threes. Okoro grabbed Giddey's missed layup and banked it in. The Bulls formed a 17-2 run midway through the third. Buzelis drew contact downhill and added three from the line.
The Cavs reduced the gap to single digits, but Jones stepped up with a floater, and White followed with a powerful weakside drive. Mitchell and Thomas Bryant cut it to five, but White wrapped up the frame with two free throws.
Giddey and Vučević opened the fourth quarter with the first nine points while Mitchell became Cleveland's lone attacker with six straight. Vučević remained scorching with six consecutive points, followed by Giddey's fastbreak bucket to establish a 15-point Bulls lead at the 5:30 mark.
Chicago closed out the game firmly, reprieving their recent struggles. The Bulls will rematch the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Friday, December 19, at 6 p.m. CST.