The Cleveland Cavaliers still don’t look like the team that finished atop the Eastern Conference a season ago. Wednesday night in Chicago was another reminder of that gap. Donovan Mitchell poured in 32 points on 11-of-23 shooting, but Cleveland couldn’t close the deal against the Bulls.
Mitchell was in attack mode from the opening tip, doing everything he could to drag Cleveland to the finish line. He didn’t do it alone.
Jaylon Tyson gave the Cavs a real lift, knocking down 8 of his 10 shots and finishing with 21 points. Every time Cleveland made a push, though, it felt like Chicago answered right back. That’s really where the game swung. The Bulls were just better when it mattered.
While the score for the Cavs was only a nine-point disadvantage during the final quarter of play, the team showed significantly more patience and maturity during that quarter than they did at times during the third quarter of Saturday’s game against the Wizards.
As well, Josh Giddey‘s performance continues to be stellar as he produced a triple-double of 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, while the combined efforts of Coby White and Nikola Vucevic added 45 points to the team’s efforts to win the game late in the fourth quarter.
Donovan Mitchell: A
Game Stats: 32 PTS, 1 REB, 5 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 11-23 FG, 4-9 3PT, 6-6 FT, 33 MIN
32 points on 23 shots tells the story. Mitchell carried the offense from start to finish. When possessions stalled, he created something. When Chicago threatened to blow it open, he answered with another bucket. He did his job. The issue was that he was doing it almost alone.
Jaylon Tyson: A-
Game Stats: 21 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 8-10 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-4 FT, 32 MIN
Tyson was one of the few bright spots. He didn’t force anything, finished efficiently, and knocked down open looks. On a night where scoring came in spurts, his efficiency stood out. Defensive lapses showed up at times, but his offense mattered.
Jarrett Allen: B
Game Stats: 14 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 7-9 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 28 MIN
Allen finished well around the rim, but Chicago made sure he was uncomfortable defensively. He was pulled out of the paint repeatedly, which opened driving lanes and put stress on the back line. Productive numbers, limited control of the game.
Darius Garland: B-
Game Stats: 15 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 6-16 FG, 3-7 3PT, 0-0 FT, 30 MIN
This never quite clicked for Garland. He moved the ball and hit a few shots, but the Bulls’ pressure bothered him. When he and Mitchell were on the floor together, the offense often felt disjointed. Not terrible – just not enough.
De’Andre Hunter: B-
Game Stats: 12 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 4-9 FG, 2-6 3PT, 2-2 FT, 28 MIN
Hunter gave Cleveland usable minutes. He hit a couple shots, competed defensively, and didn’t shy away from contact. Still, Chicago’s ball movement made it tough for him to stay impactful for long stretches.
Thomas Bryant: C
Game Stats: 7 PTS, 6 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 2-6 FG, 1-4 3PT, 2-2 FT, 18 MIN
The energy was there. The defense wasn’t. Chicago attacked the paint relentlessly during Bryant’s minutes, and Cleveland struggled to keep its shape. He battled on the glass and scored a bit, but the tradeoff on the other end was costly.
Lonzo Ball: C
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 1-5 FG, 0-4 3PT, 0-0 FT, 17 MIN
Ball rebounded well, but his shooting struggles hurt the offense. Chicago sagged off him, clogged the lane, and dared him to shoot. The Cavs never found much flow when he was out there.
Craig Porter Jr.: C
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 0 BLK, 2-2 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 18 MIN
Porter brought activity. He pressured the ball, forced turnovers, and made smart passes. His role offensively was limited, but his energy helped during a brief stretch when Cleveland needed something, anything, to change the feel of the game.
Dean Wade: D+
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, 22 MIN
Wade was mostly invisible. He didn’t provide spacing, didn’t disrupt defensively, and his minutes came and went without much impact. In a physical matchup, Cleveland needed more edge than he gave.
