Bulls fall to perfection, losing to the 14-0 Cavs and dropping Cup game
CLEVELAND – The phones came out instantly, as the Bulls players began filing into the visiting locker room in the bowels of Madison Square Garden.They weren’t checking text messages, either.“Did the Cavs win?” guard Zach LaVine asked on Wednesday, minutes after beating the Knicks.There was excitement with each “yes” thrown his way.That meant Cleveland was still chasing perfection in this young NBA season. It also meant the Bulls were in play to derail it.Be careful what you wish for.Thanks to 37 points from Donovan Mitchell, including 18 of those coming in the fourth, Cleveland not only improved to a franchise record 14-0 start, but handed the Bulls (5-8) an 0-1 start in pool play for the NBA In-Season Cup.Not the only head-shaking moment to come out of the loss, either, thanks to Josh Giddey put on the bench to start the second half, and only playing a total of just over 15 minutes with a minus-27 in plus/minus on the night.Afterwards Billy Donovan explained the benching as wanting to stay away from having both Coby White and Giddey on the floor at the same time with three fouls, but the fact that the Cavs searched out Giddey on defense in way too many actions and had success going at him, well, even Giddey admitted that the fouls weren’t the major issue.“It was horrible from start to finish,” Giddey said, pulling no punches about his showing. “I think defensively it was just, and I’m talking about me it was a mess from the jump. They put me in action, I have to be way better whether it’s coverage or sitting down and guarding somebody.“I don’t even blame it on the fouls. It was part of it, but everything else was just as bad. I wouldn’t have played myself if I was Billy, no minutes tonight. I was bad on both sides of the ball.”What was even more disappointing for Giddey was the defensive side of the ball was where he wanted to make a jump this year, and he had been saying that since the preseason.“It pisses me off to be on that side of the ball and be like that,” Giddey said. “I thought I was making steps in the right direction. To have a night like I did tonight, kind of kills your confidence.“Giving up 140 you’re never going to win games. That’s the reality of it. They’re a talented team, haven’t lost yet, and we just didn’t guard well enough, myself right on top of that list, probably one, two and three on that list.”So much for derailing the Cavs.The only thing that appeared to get derailed in the opening quarter was the souls of the Bulls players.By the time Caris LeVert hit a three-pointer off the fastbreak, the Cavs were up 17 with 3:51 left in the opening stanza, and well on their way to a 49-point quarter.When the smoke cleared the Cavs had shot 86.4% from the field (19-of-22), hit 7of-10 from three, outscored the Bulls 20-6 in the paint and had doubled the Bulls in rebounds 10-5. Dominance flexed in every way possible.The Bulls did have an answer in the second quarter and made it a game by the third. But there’s a price to pay when facing an elite superstar like Mitchell and then making matters worse when the turnover problems again pop up in that final stanza.Of the 17 turnovers, 13 came in the second half.“Self-inflicted for sure,” White said. “Sometimes we’re trying to play to the identity of playing fast and sometimes we try and play too fast, myself included. And we get overwhelmed trying to play too fast. Sometimes the game doesn’t call for you to go 100 mph.”
CLEVELAND – The phones came out instantly, as the Bulls players began filing into the visiting locker room in the bowels of Madison Square Garden.
They weren’t checking text messages, either.
“Did the Cavs win?” guard Zach LaVine asked on Wednesday, minutes after beating the Knicks.
There was excitement with each “yes” thrown his way.
That meant Cleveland was still chasing perfection in this young NBA season. It also meant the Bulls were in play to derail it.
Be careful what you wish for.
Thanks to 37 points from Donovan Mitchell, including 18 of those coming in the fourth, Cleveland not only improved to a franchise record 14-0 start, but handed the Bulls (5-8) an 0-1 start in pool play for the NBA In-Season Cup.
Not the only head-shaking moment to come out of the loss, either, thanks to Josh Giddey put on the bench to start the second half, and only playing a total of just over 15 minutes with a minus-27 in plus/minus on the night.
Afterwards Billy Donovan explained the benching as wanting to stay away from having both Coby White and Giddey on the floor at the same time with three fouls, but the fact that the Cavs searched out Giddey on defense in way too many actions and had success going at him, well, even Giddey admitted that the fouls weren’t the major issue.
“It was horrible from start to finish,” Giddey said, pulling no punches about his showing. “I think defensively it was just, and I’m talking about me it was a mess from the jump. They put me in action, I have to be way better whether it’s coverage or sitting down and guarding somebody.
“I don’t even blame it on the fouls. It was part of it, but everything else was just as bad. I wouldn’t have played myself if I was Billy, no minutes tonight. I was bad on both sides of the ball.”
What was even more disappointing for Giddey was the defensive side of the ball was where he wanted to make a jump this year, and he had been saying that since the preseason.
“It pisses me off to be on that side of the ball and be like that,” Giddey said. “I thought I was making steps in the right direction. To have a night like I did tonight, kind of kills your confidence.
“Giving up 140 you’re never going to win games. That’s the reality of it. They’re a talented team, haven’t lost yet, and we just didn’t guard well enough, myself right on top of that list, probably one, two and three on that list.”
So much for derailing the Cavs.
The only thing that appeared to get derailed in the opening quarter was the souls of the Bulls players.
By the time Caris LeVert hit a three-pointer off the fastbreak, the Cavs were up 17 with 3:51 left in the opening stanza, and well on their way to a 49-point quarter.
When the smoke cleared the Cavs had shot 86.4% from the field (19-of-22), hit 7of-10 from three, outscored the Bulls 20-6 in the paint and had doubled the Bulls in rebounds 10-5. Dominance flexed in every way possible.
The Bulls did have an answer in the second quarter and made it a game by the third. But there’s a price to pay when facing an elite superstar like Mitchell and then making matters worse when the turnover problems again pop up in that final stanza.
Of the 17 turnovers, 13 came in the second half.
“Self-inflicted for sure,” White said. “Sometimes we’re trying to play to the identity of playing fast and sometimes we try and play too fast, myself included. And we get overwhelmed trying to play too fast. Sometimes the game doesn’t call for you to go 100 mph.”
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