Dribbles: Cavs Take Bulls By Horns, Like Every Other Opponent, And Will Their Way To 12-0

November 11, 2024

Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ 119-113 road win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday. …

1. Eventually, the Cavaliers will lose a game. They probably realize that. But they’re clearly not ready to accept that reality just yet.

2. Once again, they made the right plays when they mattered most. Once again, Darius Garland came up with a huge basket near the end. And once again, the Cavs bent their knees, shuffled their feet and really got after it defensively when it had to be done.

3. So, yeah, make it 12-0. Make it just the eighth team in NBA history to have accomplished such a feat. Just as a reminder, the NBA was formed in 1946. How’s that for a little perspective on just how well things have gone?

4. Donovan Mitchell was the main man for most of the night, erupting for 25 points in the first half on his way to a game-high 36. Then the bench bunch of Ty Jerome (who else?), Dean Wade, Caris LeVert, Georges Niang and Sam Merrill came in and sparked a second-half rally. After that, again, Garland buried a bank shot off a drive to all but seal the deal.

5. “Every night, it’s somebody different,” Mitchell told FanDuel Sports Network. “The biggest thing is, we’re playing through each other and being selfless. We’ve gotta continue to be that.”

6. When asked if the Cavs can keep it rolling, Mitchell smiled and responded, “Might as well.”

7. At one point, yes, this one felt like it was getting away. Then coach Kenny Atkinson decided to go small, just as he did in Saturday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets. And like in that game, the smaller lineup really worked — with Wade at center, Niang and LeVert at the forward spots, and Jerome and Merrill in the backcourt.

8. The Cavs rattled off a 24-7 run.

9. While the players deserve credit for making all this work, you have to be impressed with how the coach has been willing to try different rotations, seemingly pushing all the right buttons. Atkinson arrived after three years as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, and these unique lineups are indeed very Warriors-centric.

10. A year ago, the Cavs probably would’ve lost a game like this. The Bulls wouldn’t go away. For a while, they seemed to have all the momentum. But there’s very clearly something different about this group — despite the fact it’s primarily the same group, with only Jerome acting as the true notable addition.

11. And what an addition Jerome has been. Forget the offense, the underrated scoring and his keen eye for finding the open man. His defensive tenacity has changed the course of games.

12. Atkinson to reporters on 12-0: “I do think there are questions about this group, about whether they can get to the next level. So when you have that chip (on your shoulder) … when we started at open gym, they were focused and locked in. They’re hungry. But there’s another level of concentration, another level of focus and detail with these guys.”

13. Garland scored 17 points to go with five assists (and just one turnover). Evan Mobley had 15 points and 11 boards. Jerome, LeVert and Niang each scored 12. The Cavaliers also won despite shooting 44.3 percent — a low number for them — to the Bulls 49.4.

14. By the way, Mitchell grabbed eight rebounds, and Niang and Jarrett Allen (nine points) each had five.

15. Zach LaVine led the Bulls (4-7) with 26 points, and Nikola Vucevic and Coby White scored 20 apiece. Josh Giddey tacked on 18. So Chicago’s starters weren’t the issue. Its bench just couldn’t hang with that of the Cavs, who overcame a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter.

16. Twelve games. Twelve wins. We’ve never seen anything like this in the history of Cleveland basketball, and a lot of us have rarely seen it in the entire NBA. We hear it all the time: “Take it one game at a time.” That is precisely what these Cavs have done. They see a game on the schedule. They take it. The games themselves haven’t always been perfect, but man oh man, the outcomes sure are.