The Cleveland Cavaliers are back home, taking on the Chicago Bulls for the second time in three days! I'll be live updating this page throughout the night.
The Cavs will dress 10 players, missing Donovan Mitchell (illness), Evan Mobley (left calf strain), Larry Nance Jr. (right calf), Craig Porter Jr. (illness), Sam Merrill (right wrist sprain), Luke Travers (two-way), Chris Livingston (two-way), and Max Strus. The Bulls are without Noa Essengue, Trentyn Flowers, and Emanuel Miller.
Starters:
Bulls - Giddey, White, Okoro, Buzelis, Vucevic
Cavs - Garland, Proctor, Tyson, Wade, Allen
FIRST QUARTER
Cavs off to an 8-0 start in two minutes. Another fast one. Tyrese Proctor with a couple of triples, a rescue possession the first one, then a nice relocation of a Jarrett Allen offensive board the next. Darius Garland had a nice lefty lay on a drive past Josh Giddey for the other bucket.
Every Dean Wade three-point miss is always, always, always front iron. Get those legs into the shot!
Bulls answer Cleveland's 11-0 start with eight straight. Matas Buzelis with the solid production there.
After old friend Isaac Okoro knocks down a three from the left wing, Chicago gets a stop and sees Buzelis catch and slam it in transition from Kevin Huerter. The Bulls have answered Cleveland's early blitz.
De'Andre Hunter comes in for Proctor, followed by Lonzo Ball subbing out Wade. Midway through.
Thomas Bryant in for Allen at about a minute later.
Proctor and Nae'Qwan Tomlin set to enter now.
Downhill DG is most definitely in effect. He's got 11 points and two assists in nine minutes.
Josh Giddey and Jarrett Allen both have Flagrant 1s for reckless closeouts on the perimeter now.
Whatever sequence happened between three minutes to two minutes, forget it ever did. For both teams. Please.
END 1Q: Cavs 32, Bulls 32
CHI: Buzelis 8p, 1r. Jones 8p. Collins 5p, 1r, 1a. Giddey 3p, 4r, 2a.
CLE: Garland 11p, 2a, 1r. Proctor 7p, 2, 1a. Bryant 5p, 2r, 1a. Ball 5p, 1r.
SECOND QUARTER
Worth noting that Bryant's got two fouls on him now. Jaylon Tyson has two as well. Wade and Tomlin now the bigs.
Here comes Luke Travers, straight from the G League Showcase in Florida.
Ball gets a technical from his seat, standing up for Tomlin after he didn't get a call on one end then Buzelis got an and-one on the other.
Cavs down 46-44 halfway through the second. Tomlin is all over the cuts and making himself available. Nice drive and dunk with authority.
Garland throws it over a teammate's head and Kevin Huerter gets an easy bucket. Can't do that out of a timeout...
Travers with some good efforts on the glass and on the cuts just like Qwan.
Buzelis is having a half.
The Hunter tape is not going to be kind, as has been the case for a couple of weeks...
Boo birds slightly making their way back after Cleveland allows back-to-back threes to Giddey. Bulls up 60-50 with 2:27 left in the first half.
Tyson picks up a bad third foul to close the half, then Tre Jones floats one home. Bulls up 11 at halftime.
Allen had one field-goal attempt that first half, by the way. He had four assists though. Cavs did a lot of driving with paint touches.
HALF: Bulls 66, Cavs 55
CHI: Buzelis 14p, 3r, 1a, blk. Giddey 11p, 6r, 3a. Vucevic 8p, 5r, 1a, blk. Jones 10p, 2stl, 1a. Collins 8p, 3r, 1a.
CLE: Garland 16p, 4a, 1r. Ball 7p, 2a, 2r. Bryant 7p, 2a, 1r, stl. Proctor 7p, 2r, 1a. Tomlin 8p, 1r, stl.
THIRD QUARTER
Even with somebody guarding, Giddey's just getting to the hole with ease and Buzelis is having himself a night. After Garland dribbles it off his foot and Matas deposits, Cavs call for time down 74-60 only 2:23 into the second half.
Cleveland finally decides to start looking up the floor instead of allowing the Bulls to get set. Cavs down 78-69 after Proctor's full-court feed to Allen for his third rim shot of the quarter.
Hey guards, Allen can score via the dunk and layup. Who knew?
Garland makes two triples in seven seconds. Credit Lonzo for the steal on Jalen Smith after the Hunter middie miss on the first one. Next was just a sloppy inbound by Collins. Cavs down 85-84 with 4:51 left in the third.
Qwan is giving that mega energy on his 25th birthday.
Atkinson waving the guys to get back after makes or misses. Chicago will continuously push.
END 3Q: Bulls 101, Cavs 99
CHI: Giddey 17p, 6r, 5a, stl. Buzelis 18p, 4r, 2blk, 1a, stl. Vucevic 13p, 9r, 2a, 2blk. Huerter 11p, 4r, 3a, 2stl.
CLE: Garland 25p, 8a, 1r, stl. Allen 10p, 10r, 5a, 2stl, blk. Proctor 14p, 6r, 3a, stl. Tomlin 14p, 2r, stl. Ball 7p, 7a, 3r, 2stl.
FOURTH QUARTER
Proctor's command and communication tonight has been awesome. He does not have a rookie-level maturity out there.
Nice job by Tyson taking it into the teeth of the defense. It's been a tough night for him with the fouls and some disjointedness, but he sticks with it.
Qwan is hoopin' on his birthday. What a pass in traffic out to Garland for three to tie this game at 115. That's DG's first 30-ball since March against the Brooklyn Nets. There's 5:50 left in regulation.
Zo's touched the paint in this game maybe more than any other game he's played this year. Maybe even combined. He's starting to get more involved off-ball.
Cavs are gonna give up 130 again. No matter what happens, somebody's gotta figure out something...
Do not know why, but Atkinson sent Hunter out there and had Proctor and Tomlin sitting on the bench. Momentum completely changed. Cleveland gonna drop another one.
FINAL: Bulls 136, Cavs 125.