Valentine’s stellar scoring effort not enough for short-handed Bulls

Denzel Valentine made a career-high eight threes, but LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers ousted the Chicago Bulls’ comeback efforts late Saturday night.

Carried by Denzel Valentine’s 34-point performance, the injury-plagued Chicago Bulls lost a close one. Bulls had an impressive comeback in the second half but it was too little too late.

The Bulls lost to the Cavaliers 114-109 Saturday night in Chicago. Zach LaVine (knee), Lauri Markkanen (back), Robin Lopez (DNP-CD) and Kris Dunn (toe) all didn’t play.

This was an exciting game for the Bulls, but a triple-double effort by LeBron James eventually led the Cavs to victory. After starting out hot, the Bulls found themselves down 69-52 at halftime. They managed to fight back in the second half and keep the game competitive.  Denzel Valentine had 34 points and Cameron Payne had 10 assists.

The Denzel Valentine Show

Valentine has looked good for the Bulls lately, scoring 15 points against the Grizzlies on Thursday night.

The Bulls needed somebody to step up against a Cleveland team that has also been without many of their key players throughout the season. Valentine proved he was up for the challenge by draining contested threes from multiple steps behind the arc. That helped the Cavaliers pull away with under two minutes to play in the game.

Felicio and Portis dominated the glass with 25 combined rebounds.

A three-point shooting showcase from Valentine and the Bulls

The Bulls out-shot the Cavaliers behind the three-point line, which was a big reason why they caught up to Cleveland after scoring only 21 points in the second quarter.

Payne and Paul Zipser hit three treys each that contributed to a 47 percent three-point shooting night for the Bulls.

Most of the Bulls’ threes came at a perfect time when the Cavaliers started to struggle in the third quarter, scoring only 16 points. The Bulls were very inconsistent on offense throughout the game, and they had trouble making plays when it really counted the most. Cleveland handed Chicago a multitude of opportunities by gifting defensive mismatches in the first half, but the Bulls were not able to capitalize on multiple different occasions.

Moments of the game

One of the most exciting moments of the game came when Valentine hit a game-tying three with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter. It would not be enough, as the Cavaliers completed the season sweep of the Bulls.

Earlier in the game, Antonio Blakeney slammed home a tough transition dunk over George Hill in the second quarter. Blakeney finished with 10 points in 27 minutes of play.

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/975176526684499968

Tank Meter

The loss Saturday night can only help the team inch closer to the ultimate prize.

Next: The Chicago Bulls should be nervous about Zach LaVine

The Bulls are currently the fourth worst team in the Eastern Conference. They will have a chance to bounce back this upcoming Monday night on the road against the New York Knicks.