Cavs tie third-longest hitting streak to start NBA season with 144-126 win over Bulls

This game was closer than it appeared to be after the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 49-point first quarter. Still, they were able to hold on for a lopsided 144-126 win over the Chicago Bulls that was closer than the final score indicated. The Cavs have now tied the Washington Capitols of 1948-49 and 2002-03 Dallas Mavericks for the third-best start in NBA history.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson said he wasn’t thrilled with the way his team played in the first meeting between these two teams earlier this week.

“After watching our last Chicago game this morning, it certainly wasn’t perfect,” Atkinson said. “I even came out of watching it the second time, kind of upset like, man, we’re going to have to play a lot better tonight to beat them.”

The Cavs played better. It showed through most of them in the first quarter.

Cleveland’s guards came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. Donovan Mitchell set the tone by scoring 10 points in the first three and a half minutes. Darius Garland picked up the pace from there as he scored 15 points and dished out six helpers in the first quarter alone to give the Cavs a 49-34 lead after one. Cleveland’s first miss inside the three-point line came three minutes into the third when Mitchell missed a layup.

Atkinson mentioned before the game that he wasn’t a fan of how the schedule has panned out so far. His team is tied for the most games so far.

“I get frustrated as a coach,” Atkinson said pregame about the lack of practice. “You see the slide and it’s like, man, how are we going to get back? We want to have a two-hour practice, (but there’s) just no way. (You) can’t do it.”

This was mostly seen on the defensive side of the field. They missed Evan Mobley the most here. The Bulls play on fastest pace in the league and it showed. Cleveland’s defense struggled to stay with them after the first quarter, allowing the Bulls to get back into the game. Chicago scored 68 points led by Coby White, who contributed 26 points in the second and third quarters alone. It became anyone’s game as the Cavs nurtured a five-point lead heading into the fourth.

Fortunately for the Cavs, they have two of the best guards in the league on their team.

Like the first quarter, Mitchell got the offense going by scoring nine straight at the start of the final frame. Garland continued his magic in the fourth quarter. He made timely baskets and found Caris LeVert in the corner for what essentially felt like the three with two minutes left.

Mitchell erased any remaining doubt by draining a three on the ensuing possession.

The Cavs then went on to score from there to increase their point differential for the NBA Cup. They ended up scoring on their last seven possessions. Mitchell led the way with 37 points and 7 rebounds. Eighteen of those came in the fourth. Garland added 29 points and 9 assists.

“We want to be in Vegas,” Jarrett Allen told Serena Winters after the match. If they keep playing like this, they have a good chance of doing it.

The 18-point victory gives the Cavs the lead in Group C of the NBA Cup. Their next NBA Cup game is Tuesday vs Boston Celtics.