A game that it really felt like the Chicago Bulls needed to win, which came against the divisional foe Cleveland Cavaliers on the road on the night of April 21, didn’t wind up the way first-year head coach Billy Donovan likely envisioned. The Bulls never controlled any sort of the pace of this game, unless the goal is to foul a lot and commit a ton of preventable turnovers.
Unforced errors were the name of the game for this Bulls team against a team that will not be in the playoffs this year in the Cavaliers. After looking solid in a home win over the Cavs at the United Center on April 17, the Bulls looked like a completely different team in the worst way possible on April 21.
The Bulls actually came into this meeting with the Cavs at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, OH, as a two-point favorite just ahead of tip-off. But if you had never watched either of these two teams before this game, then you wouldn’t know any better that the Bulls weren’t supposed to be massive underdogs.
Right from tip-off, it became clear that the Bulls’ pace of play on both ends of the floor was going to be a problem. The Bulls committed 20 turnovers, to just a dozen for the Cavs. And they once again let up more than 120 points to an opponent against which that should not happen against.
Nikola Vucevic and the Chicago Bulls falter against the Cavs
The over-reliance on the former Orlando Magic star center Nikola Vucevic became apparent in this game. In the first real off-night for the two-time All-Star big man, the Bulls weren’t able to muster much of any offense consistently from any other source in the starting unit. The hot streak on the offensive end of the floor from second-year point guard Coby White largely faded away in this game.
Although, Coby still had a pretty efficient night, at least on one end of the floor.
And the defensive struggles of Coby once again came to the forefront. It was actually the likes of combo guard Tomas Satoransky and power forward Lauri Markkanen that provided some of the more efficient sparks off the bench.
Vooch provided the Bulls with just nine points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. Along with that, he registered five rebounds, two assists, one steal, no blocks, and a whopping five turnovers.
This was definitely not Vooch’s best night, as he was a -23 when on the floor.
Moreover, a decent offensive spark from Coby was definitely not enough to keep the Bulls going on an off-night for Vooch. White registered 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. Along with that, White registered two rebounds, six assists, no steals, two blocks, and just one turnover. White actually finished up this game as the lone Bulls starter to score in double figures.
The backcourt duo for the Cavs of guards Collin Sexton and Darius Garland really did a number to the Bulls on this night. That Cavs guard combo combined for 55 points, six rebounds, 11 assists, and three steals. They also combined to shoot 19-of-30 from the field, 7-of-9 from beyond the arc, and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line.
This was truly a hot night for Sexton and Garland with their head coach absent on the sideline.
The loss to the Cavs on April 21 snaps the Bulls’ winning streak really before it could get started. And the Bulls continue to fall down the Eastern Conference standings when key teams around them like the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and Washington Wizards continue to win more often than not.
Donovan and the Bulls now slip to a record of 24-34 on the season, with less than one full month remaining in the regular season slate. The schedule won’t get any easier from here on out either. Next up for the Bulls is a meeting with the Charlotte Hornets at home at the United Center on April 22.