Cleveland Cavaliers run out of magic: Fall to Chicago Bulls in double OT behind vintage DeMar Derozan game

Thursday, 29 February 2024 at 05:35

This Central Division matchup was a thriller, as it took 58 minutes to determine a winner. Ultimately, it was the Chicago Bulls who came out on top as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-123 in 2OT at the United Center thanks to a vintage DeMar Derozan performance.

Both teams had a bunch of emotions heading into this game, but for different reasons. The Cavs were ecstatic after winning their previous matchup from a Max Strus halfcourt buzzer beater, which was the second longest game-winner in NBA history. Meanwhile, the Bulls were upset after their loss to the worst team in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons.

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DeMar Derozan played with a chip on his shoulder, as he ended the night with 35 points and 10 rebounds. Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 13 rebounds while Andre Drummond was a monster on the glass, grabbing 26 boards to go along with 17 points and 3 blocks. Ayo Dosunmu hit 4 threes on his way to his 21 points while Coby White finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists.

For the Cavs, Evan Mobley led the way with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Darius Garland had 23 points and Donovan Mitchell scored 19. Jarrett Allen and hero Max Strus each finished with 11 points while Caris LeVert recorded 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 15 assists off the bench.

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This win improves the Bulls to 28-31, which makes them 9th in the Eastern Conference. Chicago seems destined for the play-in tournament, as they are over 5 games away from the 6th seed and 11th seed. It will be interesting to see what their roster looks like this offseason with many of their core players entering free agency. They are 5-5 over their last 10 games and will look to get another win on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

On the other hand, this loss drops the Cavs to 38-20, which makes them 2nd in the East and 0.5 games above the Bucks. At this point, it seems like the Celtics have the top seed locked up so everyone else is fighting for the 2nd seed, and it is a tight race. This loss isn’t ideal for Cleveland, but they will look to bounce back on Friday against the Detroit Pistons.