With a questionable trade fresh off everyone’s mind, wherein they ended up with five point guards on the roster, the Bulls provided fans with a thrilling 128-121 OT victory over the Suns. They are now winners of three straight games and back again on the .500 mark.
The 128-point output tied a season-high for the Bulls, who are only 23rd overall in points (102.1 PPG). It featured Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler, and Nikola Mirotic all scoring 20 or more, and and the team dropping 20 big points in the extra frame.
The rhythm brought by the good offensive showing will be perfect for Saturday’s matchup. They have beaten the Cavaliers twice this season, with the most recent being a 106-94 win at Quicken Loans Arena. In the game, they outscored the Cavs by 13 points in the second quarter and never looked back. The Bulls also sunk a season-high 13 threes and six of their guys scored in double figures.
The Bulls are hot-and-cold all season long on the road. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games outside Chicago (5-5 ATS).
The Cavaliers returned to action Thursday night without missing a beat, as they easily dusted off the visiting Knicks, 119-104. LeBron James posted his sixth triple-double of the season- 18 points, 13 rebounds, 15 assists – and Kyrie Irving added a team-high 23. It was the team’s fourth consecutive win and sixth straight at home (5-1 ATS).
Additionally, with the Cavs coming out victorious after a 52.9-percent shooting night, they are now 19-1 on the season when they shoot 50 percent or above.
With the defending champs 0-2 against the Bulls this season, look for Cleveland’s one-two punch to be aggressive right from the tip. James leads all players in points and assists in this year’s Cavaliers-Bulls season series, with 29 PPG and 10 APG, while Irving paces every player in the matchup in PPG in the past month, with a 26.1 average.
The Cavs are 10-2 in their last 12 games (9-3 ATS). In that span, they are averaging 118.2 points and 14.2 threes per game on 51-percent shooting.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cavaliers finally beat the Bulls this season, 112-100.
