Cavs shake off 17-point deficit, surprise Bulls
Feb 14, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (12) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. credits: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Donovan Mitchell scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to beat the visiting Chicago Bulls 108-105 on Wednesday.
Isaac Okoro scored 16 points, Evan Mobley added 14 and Jarrett Allen had his 26th double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland, which trailed by as many as 17 in the second quarter.
Coby White hit a 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining to tie the game at 103 before Mitchell made a free throw after being fouled off the ball by Alex Caruso.
Chicago turned the ball over on its next possession, and Darius Garland made two foul shots with 11 seconds left to give the Cavaliers a three-point lead.
Cleveland maintained its three-point edge at 108-105 after White and Mitchell each made two foul shots, and White missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.
White led Chicago with 32 points. DeMar DeRozan added 24, Ayo Dosunmu had 12 and Andre Drummond recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Caruso chipped in 10 points.
Garland had 12 points and Georges Niang added 11 for Cleveland, which has won 18 of its past 20 games.
Chicago jumped out to an 11-2 lead to open the game and held a 32-25 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
The Bulls extended their lead to 17 on DeRozan's jumper near the midpoint of the second quarter before Cleveland closed the frame on a 14-3 run to pull within 49-43 at the break.
DeRozan scored 11 points in the first half to lead all scorers, while Cleveland shot 5 of 21 (23.8 percent) from 3-point range.
The Bulls saw the Cavaliers cut the deficit to 57-56 with 6:59 left in the third quarter before entering the final period with a 76-71 advantage.
Cleveland took its first lead of the game on Niang's 3-pointer with 10:40 remaining in the fourth quarter. The teams exchanged leads throughout the frame, and the Bulls moved ahead 97-95 on DeRozan's jumper with 3:54 remaining.
Cleveland played without Sam Merrill and Dean Wade, who both sat out due to illness.
—Field Level Media