With Derrick Rose missing his third straight game, the Bulls had yet another blowout win, this time defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers by a whopping 39 points, 114-75. The Bulls put up a season high in points last game, and this one tied their second highest scoring output. They once again shot well from the floor, finishing the game at 55%.
They came out hot, hitting shots from everywhere. The Cavs started off pretty hot too, making their first four 3-pointers, taking their only leads at 16-15 and 26-25. After that, it was all Chicago. They Bulls led 63-44 at the half, and 85-61 after 3 quarters. Even the “Bench Mob” blew out the Cavs 29-14 in the final quarter.
Carlos Boozer had another big game with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Luol Deng led the Bulls scoring with 21. He also added 8 boards, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. The Bulls as a team blocked a franchise-record and NBA-season high 16 shots. C.J. Watson once again started in place of the injured Rose, finishing with 15 points and 7 assists. He is doing a very solid job filling in as the starting PG.
With the Bulls playing a league-high 16 games in the first 24 days, they had their first consecutive days off before coming to Cleveland. With the compressed schedule, they are not going to rush Rose back so he can get fully healthy. While Rose typically wants to play through his injuries, the team needs him to be healthy going into the playoffs. Giving his toe time to heal is the prudent thing to do.
There were a few other injuries in this game, however. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson both injured their ankles, and John Lucas III hurt his groin. Gibson’s injury appeared the worst of the three. His status for tonight’s game against Charlotte is unknown.
Sources:
Notebook: Bulls 114, Cavaliers 75
Postgame Central