Donovan Mitchell scored 26 of his game-high 29 points after halftime and De’Andre Hunter added 29 points to lift the host Cleveland Cavaliers to a 128-122 win against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
Cleveland overcame a 19-point deficit to stretch its winning streak to four games. The Cavaliers scored the last 12 points of the game — including a run of eight straight from Mitchell — after Tre Jones swished a pair of free throws to put Chicago ahead 122-116 with 1:47 remaining.
Mitchell shot 9-for-14 in the second half, including 5-for-7 from long range.
Isaac Okoro scored 19 points to lead seven Bulls in double figures, while reserve Jalen Smith had a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Cleveland rallied back into the game with a 40-point third quarter, capitalizing on a brief absence from Chicago’s Josh Giddey, who appeared to roll an ankle, as well as some Bulls’ defensive lapses.
One gaffe came in the closing seconds of the quarter, when Chicago fouled Cleveland forward Evan Mobley near the rim after he barely had control of the ball after a court-length pass.
Mobley contributed 24 points and eight rebounds, while teammates Jaylon Tyson (17 points) and Jarrett Allen (11) also scored in double figures.
Giddey and Kevin Huerter chipped in 15 points each for Chicago, with Giddey grabbing nine rebounds. Jones scored 17 points, Ayo Dosunmu added 14 and Patrick Williams had 11.
The Bulls went 33-for-36 from the free-throw line compared to 19-for-26 for the Cavaliers.
Chicago rolled to a 72-56 halftime lead after outscoring Cleveland 43-24 in the second quarter.
The Bulls shot 56.1% (23 of 41) in the first half, including a 10-for-14 barrage from long range that featured a 3-for-3 effort from both Okoro and Smith. Williams added two treys.
Mitchell, who entered the game averaging a team-best 30.9 points, was 1-for-10 from the floor for three points before the break.
Saturday marked the first meeting between the Cavaliers and Bulls since the offseason trade that saw Chicago ship Lonzo Ball to Cleveland for Okoro. The Cavaliers showed a tribute video for Okoro, who spent his first five NBA seasons with the organization, during an early stoppage in play.
Cleveland has won seven straight against Chicago at Rocket Arena and is 12-1 over the teams’ past 13 meetings overall.
–Field Level Media
