The Chicago Bulls failed to extend their winning streak to three games on Wednesday night, falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-105. The final score indicates a much closer game than this one truly was.
It was yet another game without all-star guard Zach LaVine, who remains in the league’s health and safety protocols. In addition to LaVine, the Bulls were without Troy Brown Jr. in this one.
Still, this was a very winnable game. That point is proven by the recent win against these same Cavaliers just a few nights earlier. The Bulls failed to repeat their performance from that one and now find themselves searching for answers ahead of the second night of a back-to-back.
On Thursday evening, the Bulls will be playing yet another important game. This time it will be against the Charlotte Hornets. The takeaways from the loss to the Cavs will hopefully be points of emphasis for the Bulls so they can bounce back and get themselves into the win column Thursday night.
Takeaways from the Chicago Bulls loss to the Cavaliers: Inability to carry momentum
The Bulls really should have carried some sort of momentum into this one coming off a big win against the Boston Celtics the game prior. Instead of doing so, the Bulls came out lackluster early and were never able to overcome that start.
The Cavaliers led from start to finish in this one. Additionally, the Bulls started out with an embarrassing first quarter in which they managed to score just 12 points. That type of start is inexcusable, coming off a big win is just confusing.
The Bulls shot 0-8 from behind the arc in the opening quarter and dug themselves a hole they had no chance of digging back out of. Nikola Vucevic, who struggled mightily in the loss, scored half of the team’s 12 points in the game’s opening 12 minutes.
Takeaways from the Chicago Bulls loss to the Cavaliers: Defending guards a major issue
The Bulls have failed to defend well for the strong majority of the season, and this one was no different. The Cavaliers young and dynamic guard combination of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton had their way from start to finish.
They started out hot, unlike the entire Bulls group. The duo scored 17 first-quarter points and had a number of opportunities for teammates they opened up by getting to the basket. Whether it was lobbing it to Jarrett Allen at the rim or kicking it for an open three-point shot, the Cavs guards were getting what they wanted at will.
It did not stop after the statement-making first quarter, either. Sexton finished the game with 30 points and 7 assists on a far too efficient 11-17 shooting. Garland, meanwhile, finished with 25 points of his own on an also efficient 8-13 shooting night.
Garland and Sexton had their way with the Bulls defense all night. If this team wants to win games they are going to have to do a much better job of keeping a body in front of opposing guards.
Although the Cavs have a dynamic pairing that most teams could struggle against, the effort, or lack thereof, is a major concern for Billy Donovan’s group. They only forced the Cavs guards into five turnovers combined, as if the shooting and scoring numbers were not bad enough.
Things get easier in terms of numbers against the Hornets but not necessarily in terms of talent. In that game, the Bulls will have to find a way to slow down dynamic scoring guard Terry Rozier. Easier said than done.
Will the Bulls be able to? It’s hard to see how they will solely based on tonight’s performance.
Takeaways from the Chicago Bulls loss to the Cavaliers: The team should be well-rested against the Hornets
The Bulls should be as well-rested as a team can be in the second night of a back-to-back. Due to their abysmal performance to start this game they didn’t play anyone a significant amount of minutes.
That should be able to be a positive in the Thursday night game against the Hornets, though this team has hardly been predictable or given what is expected.
Only one player on the Bulls roster eclipsed the 30-minute mark, guard Coby White. Two starters didn’t even crack the 20-minute mark. Those two players would be rookie forward Patrick Willams and big man Daniel Theis.
The end of the bench even got a couple of minutes of late run in this one. The Bulls hopefully used the extra time on the bench to think about what they need to do better in their next game and moving forward. That is a long list, so thinking about it early couldn’t really hurt.
Big man Nikola Vucevic saw just 25 minutes, while veteran forward Thaddeus Young saw only 17 minutes off the bench himself.
In a season that is very compressed into tight windows, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan was smart to limit his key players’ minutes as he realized they would be unable to dig themselves out of the early hole they dug.
While no one on the team saw an overbearing number of minutes in the previous game, maybe the extra minutes will help the Bulls come into their next game with fresh legs. If they pair that with fresh minds they have a chance of bouncing back and avoiding a fall in the playoff picture.
Takeaways from the Chicago Bulls loss to the Cavaliers: Desperately in need of Zach LaVine’s return
This one could easily have been guessed when the team initially lost LaVine due to health and safety protocols. The Bulls back to back wins against the Cavaliers and Celtics made it seem as if they could survive a few more without their all-star guard, though.
If anyone did forget, this game should serve as a reminder. The Bulls desperately need LaVine back in order to make a serious push for the play-in games.
While Garrett Temple is a solid veteran who has done a fine job in filling in for LaVine, it simply is a job he is not capable of doing to the extent the Bulls need. We know great team defense isn’t rounding the corner for this group, and LaVine helps his team avoid embarrassing starts like the team had tonight.
He also helps ease some of the pressure on Vucavic as the team’s primary scorer. When LaVine is out there, teams have to be careful of how they defend every other player on the court. Additionally, he opens up so many opportunities for his teammates.
Finally, his scoring ability is obviously the greatest asset he has. Without him as the primary option, the Bulls have to rely far too much on inconsistent players like Coby White and Lauri Markkanen.
With the Bulls running out of time to make a real run at the playoffs, they have never been so desperate to see their star player return to the court. We don’t know when that will happen yet, but for the Bulls, it can’t come soon enough.