It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Chicago Bulls performance like this. Players were flying up and down the court, swarming defensively, and the ball kept moving. The Bulls defeated the Cavaliers 127–111—their first home win in 25 days and their first win over the Cavs since Feb. 28, 2024.
The Bulls piled up 35 assists in Wednesday night’s win— their third-highest total of the season, after averaging 27 over their last 10 games. Tre Jones and Josh Giddey combined for 22 of them. Giddey recorded his sixth triple-double of the year, tying him with Jalen Johnson for the second-most in the league behind Nikola Jokic.
An overall excellent night
The offense was clicking on all cylinders, as the Bulls shot a season-high 56.2 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three. They got contributions from all across the roster, with seven players finishing in double figures. Six Bulls shot at least 50 percent from the field—that’s how clean the offense was.
Bulls offense rediscovered its spark
The bench also provided a spark, outscoring Cleveland’s bench 38–27—led by Tre Jones’ 11-point, 11-assist double-double and a plus-20 in just 24 minutes. He joins Toni Kukoc as the only Bulls reserve in team history to put up 10-plus points, 10-plus assists and 3-plus steals in a game, per K.C. Johnson. The Bulls rank second in bench points this season, trailing only the Grizzlies.
The Bulls’ ability to run the floor was on full display. Chicago had 25 fast-break points after averaging just over 12 over the previous four games.
Chicago’s leaders showed up and showed out as well. Alongside Giddey’s triple-double, Coby White finished with 25 points on 61.5 shooting. Nikola Vucevic looked like himself again, putting up 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and an awaited block (only his third over the last 10 games)—and was a plus-15 in 29 minutes of action.
Turning defense into offense
But the defense was just as sharp. The Bulls forced the Cavs—a team averaging just 14 turnovers per game on the season—to cough it up 20 times and came away with 12 steals, their third-most this season. Everybody was active, as five Bulls recorded two-plus steals in the game. That activity allowed the Bulls to score 21 points off turnovers.
Big-ball minutes, big results
Billy Donovan decided to lean on the double-big lineups even more. He paired Vucevic with Smith for the first time, in addition to minutes from Smith and Collins. Chicago once again dominated the paint, scoring 68 points inside the rack—and is now averaging 54 paint points per game over the last 10 games, fifth in the league during that span.
Playing bigger has mostly helped the Bulls limit opponents’ second-chance points. On the season, Chicago ranks 25th in that category, allowing 16.4 second-chance points per game. Over the last three games, though—since Billy Donovan has committed to bigger lineups—the Bulls rank fifth in the league, giving up only 12.7 per game.
Reinforcement incoming
With Ayo Dosunmu expected back soon, the Bulls should finally have a fully healthy roster. Last night was an encouraging sign that Chicago might be able to turn the corner. But if the Bulls want to stay competitive, they’ll have to keep that group on the floor—something they’ve struggled to do since their 5–0 start.
Up next
The Bulls will travel to Cleveland on Friday to face that same Cavs team before closing out the week in Atlanta against the Hawks on Saturday.