The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the host Chicago Bulls , 109 - 94 , at United Center on Monday . In a game that was expected to be close , the Thunder gave it to the Bulls in this lopsided result . In fact , Oklahoma City won all of the first three quarters by at least six points , as they took a 22 - point lead into the fourth quarter . Aside from Chicago grabbing the first lead of the game , the Thunder led for the final 45 - plus minutes . All the statistics were one - sided , with the Thunder winning the shooting , rebounding and assisting differentials . The Thunder shot 57 percent from the field , while the Bulls barely cracked 40 percent shooting . In addition , Oklahoma City outscored Chicago 25 - 4 in fastbreak points and 60 - 36 in the paint . The Thunder ( 23 - 16 ) were in a bit of a slide , so a road win against the Bulls is just what the doctor ordered . Russell Westbrook was once again the catalyst , accumulating 21 points , nine rebounds and 14 assists . Steven Adams led the team in scoring , totaling 22 points and five rebounds on 11 - of - 14 from the field . Enes Kanter was a nice spark off the bench , collecting 20 points and 11 rebounds on 9 - of - 11 shooting . On deck for Oklahoma City is a home matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday . The Bulls ( 19 - 19 ) came into this game in the midst of a three - game winning streak , but that ended in rather embarrassing fashion . After winning player of the week last week , Jimmy Butler finished this game with one point , two rebounds and seven assists on 0 - of - 6 shooting , as he was clearly hampered by the sickness that made him questionable coming in . Dwyane Wade was the teams best player , tallying 22 points , four rebounds and six assists . Michael Carter-Williams was the only other starter in double figures , dropping 15 points and adding two assists . Cristiano Felicio got a bunch of garbage minutes and recorded an 11 - point , 11 - rebound double - double off the bench . Chicago will be in action again on Tuesday , as they play the Washington Wizards on the road .

Oklahoma City dominated this game from start to finish , as they led for the final 45 - plus minutes . In fact , the Thunder won all of the first three quarters by at least six points , taking a 22 - point lead into the final frame . Shooting was the key difference , with Oklahoma City shooting 56 percent , while Chicago barely cracked 40 percent . Russell Westbrook fell a rebound shy of a triple - double , accumulating 21 points , nine rebounds and 14 assists . Steven Adams led the team in scoring , dropping 22 points and five rebounds on 11 - of - 14 shooting . Enes Kanter recorded a double - double off the bench , totaling 20 points and 11 rebounds . Dwyane Wade was a lone bright spot for Chicago , accruing 22 points , four rebounds and six assists . Jimmy Butler ( sickness ) really struggled , going 0 - of - 6 from the field to contribute one point , two rebounds and seven assists . Cristiano Felicio came off the bench to record an 11 - point , 11 - rebound double - double .


Dwyane Wade scored 17 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to propel the Bulls to a much - needed win . Wade went 9 - of - 24 from the field and added five rebounds , five assists and two steals . Meanwhile , Jimmy Butler was the high - point man for Chicago , as he poured in 28 points on 9 - of - 16 shooting , to go along with eight rebounds , six assists , four steals and two blocks , in 39 minutes . Taj Gibson came up big for the Bulls as well , finishing with 15 points , 16 rebounds , two blocks and one assist , in 32 minutes of action . On the other side , it was Anthony Davis who led the way for the Pelicans , with a game - high 36 points on 14 - of - 23 shooting , to go along with 14 rebounds , three blocks , two assists and one steal , in 39 minutes . Three other players scored in double digits for the Pelicans , including Solomon Hill with 10 , E'Twaun Moore with 16 and Tyreke Evans with 14 .

The Chicago Bulls hung on to defeat the visiting New Orleans Pelicans , 107 - 99 , at United Center on Saturday evening . Jimmy Butler scored 18 points in the first half , to lead the Bulls to a 55 - 45 lead at halftime . They extended their lead to as many as 15 points in the third quarter but the Pelicans were able to battle back to make it a one - point game with 10:53 left in the fourth quarter . However , Dwyane Wade exploded for 17 points in the fourth quarter , where he went 7 - of - 10 from the field to lead Chicago to the win . The Bulls ( 20 - 21 ) took a staggering 101 shots from the field , hitting 43 percent , including 8 - of - 20 from long range . They missed 10 of their 23 free throws , but were able to hang on for a much - needed win . Jimmy Butler was the high - point man for Chicago , with 28 points on 9 - of - 16 shooting , to go along with eight rebounds , six assists , four steals and two blocks , in 39 minutes . Dwyane Wade finished the game 9 - of - 24 from the field but came up big when it counted , finishing with 22 points , to go along with five rebounds , five assists and two steals , in 32 minutes . Taj Gibson complimented his guards with a solid night of his own , as he tallied 15 points , 16 rebounds and two blocks , in 32 minutes . The Bulls are now 13 - 8 at home but will have to switch gears , as their next game takes place in Memphis on Sunday . Meanwhile , Anthony Davis did all he could to save his Pelicans ( 16 - 25 ) , as he poured in a game - high 36 points , to go along with 14 rebounds , three blocks , two assists and one steal , in 39 minutes . The only other starter to score in double digits for New Orleans was Solomon Hill who finished with 10 , while E'Twaun Moore added 16 points and Tyreke Evans chipped in 14 points off the bench . Despite having one of the league 's top rebounders and inside players , the Pelicans were out - rebounded by 21 and out - scored in the paint . They fall to 6 - 14 on the road and are now one more game away from the eighth spot in the West . The Pelicans will wrap up a five - game road trip as they take on the Pacers in Indiana on Monday .


It has n't been the most productive season thus far for Robin Lopez . In fact , it 's been the big man 's least productive year since 2011 when he was playing just 14 minutes per game in Phoenix . After a solid start in November , in which Lopez recorded four double - doubles en route to averaging 10 points and 8 rebounds per game , Lopez struggled with consistency in his production . However , Tuesday 's big - time performance from the big man showed what he is capable of when he can get things rolling offensively . Lopez finished with a season - high 21 points - - his first 20 - point game since April 8 , 2016 - - on an effective 10 - of - 15 shooting , as the team looked to get him the ball early in often and it led to a productive night . And while Chicago was unable to get the win , it shows that Chicago may have some production inside that can take the pressure off of their perimeter players .

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Chicago Bulls 99 - 98 Tuesday at American Airlines Center . The Mavericks ( 14 - 27 ) held a comfortable seven - point lead heading into halftime before allowing superstar Jimmy Butler and the Bulls to come storming back and make it a competitive ball game . In the final minute of the game , Jimmy Butler 's mid - range jumper broke a 96 - 96 tie and put Chicago up two , but then , a 25 - foot Wesley Matthews 3 - pointer gave Dallas back the lead . One last stop for the Mavericks gave them their third straight victory , as they are starting to hit their stride midway through January . The team was led by Harrison Barnes , who scored a team - high 20 points in the contest , but it was a total team effort Tuesday night , with six different Mavericks scoring in double figures . As for the Bulls ( 21 - 22 ) , the loss puts them back under .500 after they had won two straight , and it also drops them to 0 - 2 against Dallas this season . Butler was once again impressive with a great all - around performance , posting 24 points , 12 assists and nine rebounds in 40 minutes . But the surprise performance came from Robin Lopez , who has remained rather quiet production - wise in his stint with the Bulls . Lopez finished Tuesday 's contest with 21 points on 10 - of - 15 shooting from the field and five rebounds . It was by far the best performance of the season from the big man , the efforts of Butler and Lopez just were n't enough in the end . Up next , the Mavericks will look to keep things rolling in Miami on Thursday , while the Bulls will head to Atlanta on Friday to take on the Hawks .


The Chicago Bulls defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings 102 - 99 , at United Center on Saturday evening . The Bulls literally stole one from the Kings , as Dwyane Wade came up with two huge steals in the last minute to seal the deal for Chicago . First Wade stole the ball then raced down floor but missed a dunk to go ahead by two , however a foul was called against DeMarcus Cousins on the play to put Wade at the line . Wade missed the first of two free throws but hit the second to put his squad up 100 - 99 . The Kings then took a timeout with 14 seconds on the clock . Out of the timeout , they inbounded the ball to Cousins at the three - point line , and he proceeded to take it into the paint , but as he was backing down his defender , Wade swooped in for the game saving steal , and raced away , passing the ball ahead for a dunk which put the game out of reach . The Bulls ( 22 - 23 ) really needed this one , as they were coming off two ugly losses . Wade had a rough start to the game but ended up coming through , with a team - high 30 points , to go along with six rebounds , four assists , four blocks and three steals . Three other players scored in double digits for the Bulls , led by Jimmy Butler 's 23 points . Paul Zipser came up big for Chicago , as he chipped in 13 points on 4 - of - 8 shooting , in 23 minutes off the bench , while Nikola Mirotic added 11 points off the bench . The Bulls will look to build on this win , as they head to Orlando to take on the Magic on Tuesday . Meanwhile , the Kings ( 18 - 27 ) were dealt a heartbreaker , as the foul on Wade 's would - be go - ahead dunk was a questionable one , and will likely be mentioned in Sunday 's L2M report . DeMarcus Cousins did all he could to give his team the edge , as he was the only player to score in double digits for the Kings . Cousins finished with a game - high 42 points , to go along with 14 rebounds , three assists , two blocks and a steal , in 35 minutes . The Kings will have to put the past behind them as they move on to Detroit , where they will face the third game of their current eight - game road trip .

DeMarcus Cousins came up with a monster 42 - point , 14 - rebound performance , but somehow it was not enough to get his team the win , as no other player scored in double digits for the Kings . The next highest scorer for Sacramento was Arron Afflalo , who finished with nine points on 3 - of - 9 shooting . Darren Collison , Garrett Temple and Ty Lawson all added eight points each , but it was much too little to help their team pull off a win . Meanwhile , Dwyane Wade exploded for stunning late - game performance for the Bulls , sealing the deal with a couple clutch plays in the final minute . Wade finished with a team - high 30 points , to go along with six rebounds , four assists , four blocks and three steals , in 35 minutes . Jimmy Butler added 23 points , seven assists and five rebounds , in 39 minutes .


The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Chicago Bulls , 119 - 114 , Wednesday at the United Center . With just over three minutes to go in the final quarter , the Bulls ( 23 - 24 ) held a 10 - point lead . At that point , however , something clicked for the Hawks ( 27 - 19 ) . Over the next two minutes , Atlanta got back - to - back - to - back made threes from Paul Millsap , Dennis Schroeder and Tim Hardaway Jr. to bring them within one before a Schroeder layup gave them the lead for good . In the end , it turned out to be a brilliant team performance from Atlanta , with all five of their starters scoring in double figures . Schroeder led the way with 24 points and nine assists , while Paul Millsap managed to produce 21 points and six rebounds of his own . As a team , as shown by their shooting down the stretch , the Hawks were on fire from behind the arc , hitting an incredible 17 of their 30 attempts from long range ( 57 percent ) . As for the Bulls , they received a pair of superstar performances from Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade , but ultimately , it just was n't enough . Butler scored a game - high 40 points in 40 minutes , while Wade added 33 points of his own in 31 minutes , but unfortunately for Chicago , the duo failed to get any help from their teammates . The only other Bulls player to reach double - digit scoring was Doug McDermott , who scored just 10 points in 23 minutes off the bench . And while Butler and Wade combined to shoot an impressive 59 percent from the field , the rest of the team managed to shoot just 35 percent , spoiling the night for Chicago . Up next , the Hawks will head home Friday to take on the Wizards , while the Bulls will stay home Friday to take on the surging Heat .

Chicago looked poised to pull out a wire - to - wire win , but Atlanta went on a huge run to take their first and only lead with less than two minutes left . In fact , the Hawks finished the game on a 19 - 4 run to win by five . Atlanta 's offense was key , as they shot 52 percent from the field and 57 percent from three - point range , while handing out 29 assists . Six players on Atlanta score at least 16 points , with Dennis Schroeder leading the team with 24 points and nine assists . Paul Millsap was second on the team , totaling 21 points and six rebounds . Dwight Howard and Kent Bazemore each scored 16 points a piece , with Howard adding 12 rebounds and Bazemore contributing six rebounds , seven assists and three blocks . Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler carried the load for Chicago , as they combined for 73 points on 27 - of - 46 from the field , with the rest of the team going just 16 - of - 48 . Butler led the team with 40 points , four rebounds three assists and three steals , while Wade finished with 33 points , five rebounds , two assists and two steals .


The Heat was able to overcome the absence of Hassan Whiteside ( ankle ) , as Willie Reed stepped up to tally 20 points , five boards , an assist and a steal . Goran Dragic 's 26 points paced Miami , a total he supplemented with 11 assists , five rebounds and three steals . Dion Waiters tallied 19 points , and Wayne Ellington was next with a bench - leading 14 points . Rodney McGruder totaled nine points , four boards and a trio of steals . Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler began the game on the bench due to recent comments , but the former still led Chicago with 15 points over 28 minutes . Paul Zipser started in Wade 's stead and posted 14 points . Taj Gibson matched Zipser 's point total , while Rajon Rondo contributed 13 . Doug McDermott registered nine points , while Butler could only muster three points on 1 - of - 13 shooting .

The Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls , 100 - 88 , at United Center on Friday evening . The Heat ( 17 - 30 ) checked in to Friday with only seven road wins in 24 games away from American Airlines Arena , but with a potential opportunity to steal a victory against a Bulls ( 23 - 25 ) squad currently besieged by internal spats between Rajon Rondo and team leaders Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade . Chicago head coach Fred Hoiberg had also made the suprising decision to bench the latter two to start the game in favor of Paul Zipser and Doug McDermott , putting the home team at a talent disadvantage to open the contest . Miami was able to capitalize , jumping out to a 33 - 24 lead after one quarter and then hanging on to outscore their hosts 67 - 64 the rest of the way . The temporary demotion seemed to affect Butler in particular , as he shot just 1 - for - 13 from the floor over 33 minutes . The Heat was also able to overcome the absence of Hassan Whiteside ( ankle ) , as Willie Reed stepped up to tally 20 points , five boards , an assist and a steal . Goran Dragic 's 26 points paced Miami , a total he supplemented with 11 assists , five rebounds and three steals . Dion Waiters continued his strong play with 19 points , five rebounds , an assist and a steal . Wayne Ellington was next with a bench - leading 14 points , which he supplemented with five boards , two assists , two steals and a block . Rodney McGruder totaled nine points , four boards and a trio of steals . Despite being relegated to the second unit , Wade 's 15 points still served as the top score on the Bulls . He added six rebounds , three assists and two steals over 28 minutes . Zipser impressively took advantage of his starting opportunity , posting 14 points , five boards and a steal . Taj Gibson matched Zipser 's point total and supplemented it with five rebounds , two assists , four blocks and a steal . Rondo had one of his more productive games , compiling 13 points , seven rebounds , seven assists and three steals . McDermott registered nine points , five boards and two assists . The Heat return home to face the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night , while the Bulls remain home to take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday evening .


The Sixers have been one of the three - worst teams in the league with Joel Embiid off the floor and that proved to be the case again here . They dug themselves too big of a hole early on , as the Bulls led by 14 points after the first quarter . Shooting was key , with Chicago hitting 51 percent from the field and 57 percent from three - point range . Ersan Ilyasova stepped up in Embiid 's absence , totaling 31 points and 11 rebounds . Robert Covington was second on the team , tallying 21 points , 12 rebounds , three assists , three steals and three blocks . T.J. McConnell amassed 14 points and 12 assists . Jimmy Butler led the way for Chicago , as he accumulated 28 points , eight rebounds , seven assists and four steals . Robin Lopez was second on the Bulls , finishing with 21 points , 10 rebounds and three blocks . Nikola Mirotic , Doug McDermott and Paul Zipsier combined for 40 points off the bench .

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Philadelphia 76ers , 121 - 108 , at United Center on Sunday . Despite Philadelphia leading for the first six minutes , Chicago took control from there . In fact , the Bulls finished the first quarter on a 32 - 12 run and never relinquished the lead from there . Bench production was huge for the Bulls , as they outscored the Sixers bench , 49 - 15 . Three-point shooting was a decisive statistic as well , with Philly going 10 - of - 28 from long range , while Chicago went 8 - of - 14 . The Bulls also took advantage of the whistle . taking twice as many free - throws as the Sixers , while shooting a better percentage . The Sixers ( 17 - 29 ) had to play this game without Joel Embiid ( rest ) and they simply could n't overcome his absence . Ersan Ilyasova led the team in scoring , totaling 31 points and 11 rebounds in the defeat . Robert Covington was second on the team , amassing 21 points , 12 rebounds , three assists , three steals and three blocks . T.J. McConnell also recorded a double - double , scoring 14 points to go along with three rebounds and 12 assists . Nerlens Noel started for Embiid and finished with 12 points , six rebounds , two steals and three blocks . The six bench players combined for just 15 points . The Bulls ( 24 - 25 ) have had a lot of issues on and off the court recently , but dominating wins like this show just how good they can be . Jimmy Butler bounced back from his benching to lead the team with 28 points , eight rebounds , seven assists and four steals . Robin Lopez was second on the team , collecting 21 points , 10 rebounds and three blocks . Dwyane Wade accumulated 14 points , six rebounds and six assists . Paul Zipser , Doug McDermott , Nikola Mirotic all finished between 13 and 14 points off the bench . Rajon Rondo also played well off the pine , accruing eight points , five rebounds and 10 assists .


The Chicago Bulls defeated the Toronto Raptors , 105 - 94 , at United Center on Tuesday . The Bulls ( 27 - 29 ) had looked rather hapless on Sunday against the Timberwolves while playing with a significantly short - handed squad . Jimmy Butler , Dwyane Wade , Nikola Mirotic and Paul Zipser all missed that contest , and matters did n't look much more optimistic heading into Tuesday 's tilt . However , Butler was able to ultimately make a return from his heel injury , and his presence unsurprisingly made a considerable impact . The star forward posted a 19 - point , 12 - assist double - double that also included two rebounds and four steals over a full allotment of 38 minutes , and Doug McDermott actually led Chicago with a 20 - point effort off the bench . The Bulls also overcame 17 turnovers by shooting a solid 48 percent from the field and 41 percent from three - point range . The Raptors ( 32 - 24 ) were led by Kyle Lowry , who produced 22 points , four assists , three rebounds and one steal . DeMar DeRozan followed with 18 points , five rebounds , three assists and one steal . Norman Powell generated 13 points , four assists , two rebounds and two steals . Jonas Valanciunas posted a near double - double of 12 points and nine boards . Cory Joseph was productive as a reserve as well with 10 points , four rebounds , one assist and one steal . McDermott added five rebounds and one assist to his aforementioned team - high scoring total . Taj Gibson managed 14 points and four boards . Rajon Rondo was next with 12 points , four assists and three rebounds . Cristiano Felicio supplied 10 points , six rebounds , one assist and two steals . Michael Carter-Williams and Robin Lopez registered matching eight - point efforts on the starting five . The Raptors head back home to face the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday evening , while the Bulls remain home to take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday night .

The returning Jimmy Butler 's 19 - point , 12 - assist double - double and Doug McDermott 's 20 - point effort off the bench spearheaded Chicago 's impressive home win . The Bulls also overcame 17 turnovers by shooting a solid 48 percent from the field and 41 percent from three - point range . Taj Gibson managed 14 points and four boards . Rajon Rondo was next with 12 points , while Cristiano Felicio supplied 10 as a reserve as well . Michael Carter-Williams and Robin Lopez registered matching eight - point efforts on the starting five . Kyle Lowry 's 22 points paced Toronto . DeMar DeRozan followed with 18 points , while Norman Powell generated 13 points off the bench . Jonas Valanciunas posted a near double - double of 12 points and nine boards . Cory Joseph was productive as a reserve as well , as he tallied 10 points , four rebounds , one assist and one steal .


The Chicago Bulls defeated the Boston Celtics , 104 - 103 , at United Center on Thursday . In the final game before the All-Star break , these two teams left it all on the floor . In fact , there were eight ties and 14 lead changes , with neither team leading by more than 10 points . Jimmy Butler was the hero , as he hit two clutch free - throws with less than a second left to seal the win . Free-throw shooting was a key for Chicago all night , as they went a perfect 22 - of - 22 from the free - throw line . Rebounding was the decisive statistic though , with the Bulls winning that differential , 51 - 31 . The Celtics ( 37 - 20 ) have been one of the hottest teams over recent weeks , but they 'll head into the All-Star break with a devastating loss . Isaiah Thomas led the team once again , as he tallied 29 points , three rebounds and seven assists . No other starter had more than 10 points , with Marcus Smart , Al Horford and Jae Crowder combining to go 7 - of - 22 from the field . Kelly Olynyk came off the bench to provide 17 points , seven rebounds and four assists . The Bulls ( 28 - 29 ) are slowly climbing back to .500 and this win may be what they need to go on a run over the final couple months . Jimmy Butler led the way , as he accumulated 29 points , four rebounds and seven assists . Bobby Portis finished second on the team , collecting 19 points and eight rebounds off the bench . Robin Lopez fell just shy of a double - double , totaling 15 points and eight rebounds . Rajon Rondo had a strange line , as he went scoreless , but grabbed seven rebounds and dished out eight assists off the bench .

The Bulls and Celtics have always been rivals and this thriller added to the historic matchup . Jimmy Butler was the hero , as he hit two late free - throws with 1 seconds left to win the game . Rebounding was the decisive statistic , with Chicago winning that differential , 51 - 31 . Isaiah Thomas led the way for Boston , as he tallied 29 points , three rebounds and seven assists . No other starter had more than 10 points . Kelly Olynyk finished with 17 points , seven rebounds and four assists off the bench . Butler added a big game to his heroics , as he led the Bulls with 29 points , four rebounds and seven assists . Bobby Portis finished second on the team with 19 points and eight rebounds off the bench . Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez combined 27 points and 17 rebounds as the starting frontcourt .


The Chicago Bulls defeated the Phoenix Suns in overtime , 128 - 121 , on Friday evening at United Center . The Bulls ( 29 - 29 ) found themselves down 102 - 91 with 4:31 remaining following a Devin Booker three - pointer , but mounted an impressive comeback that eventually saw them forge a 106 - 106 tie with 48 seconds left after a Jimmy Butler trey . Butler then added a 13 - foot two - pointer at the nine - second mark that gave Chicago a momentary 108 - 106 lead . However , Booker had a chance to seal the win with one second on the scoreboard after he was fouled by Dwyane Wade in three - point range , yet he missed the last of three subsequent free throws to send the contest into overtime knotted at 108 . Wade made up for his late gaffe in the extra period , tallying half of the Bulls ' 20 points to seal the victory . The Suns ( 18 - 40 ) were led by Booker , who posted 27 points , three rebounds , two assists and two steals . Eric Bledsoe , T.J. Warren and Marquese Chriss followed with a trio of 17 - point efforts . Bledsoe added 10 assists , seven rebounds , one steal and one block ; Warren , now in primary possession of the small forward job with P.J . Tucker traded to Toronto , complemented his scoring total with eight boards , two assists and two steals ; Chriss also registered seven boards , one assist , two steals and two blocks . Alex Len produced a modest four points and seven rebounds as the starting center , but Alan Williams led the bench with 16 points , three boards and one assist . Wade 's 23 points paced Chicago , and he added four rebounds , three assists , two steals and two blocks . Butler compiled 22 points , nine assists , three rebounds and four steals . Robin Lopez totaled 19 points , six boards and one block . Nikola Mirotic led the second unit with 20 points , eight rebounds and two assists over 37 minutes . With Taj Gibson now in Oklahoma City , Mirotic , who drained four of his five baskets from long range , could be in for similar playing time going forward . Denzel Valentine was productive in a reserve role as well , posting 15 points , five rebounds , five assists and three steals over 34 minutes . The Suns remain in the Midwest and next head to Milwaukee to tangle with the Bucks on Sunday afternoon , while the Bulls head to Cleveland for a Saturday night , national TV showdown against the Cavaliers .

The Bulls mounted a comeback from a 102 - 91 deficit with 4:31 left , and took a 108 - 106 lead after a Jimmy Butler basket with nine seconds left . Two Devin Booker free throws eventually sent the game to overtime , when Dwyane Wade poured in 10 of Chicago 's 20 points to seal the win . Wade 's 23 points paced Chicago , and Butler was right behind him with 22 . Robin Lopez totaled 19 points , and Nikola Mirotic led the second unit with 20 points over 37 minutes . Denzel Valentine was productive in a reserve role as well , posting 15 points . Booker 's game - high 27 points led Phoenix . Eric Bledsoe , T.J. Warren and Marquese Chriss followed with a trio of 17 - point efforts , with Bledsoe also adding 10 assists . Alan Williams led the bench with 16 points , three boards and one assist .


The Nuggets saw seven players post double - digit scoring and they collectively shoot an outstanding 56 percent from the floor and 43 percent from three - point range . Chicago 's cause was significantly undermined by an atypically poor shooting night from Jimmy Butler , who posted only eight points on a 3 - of - 13 tally from the floor . Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with 22 points , and Wilson Chandler followed closely with 20 points . Nikola Jokic posted a 19 - point , 16 - rebound , 10 - assist triple - double . Gary Harris went for 15 points , and Will Barton matched Harris ' point total while leading the second unit . Jameer Nelson managed 12 points , while Jamal Murray tallied 14 points over 18 efficient minutes off the bench . Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo paced the Bulls with matching 19 - point efforts . Bobby Portis stepped up with 12 points , while Robin Lopez supplied 10 points .

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Chicago Bulls , 125 - 107 , at United Center on Tuesday evening . The surprising victory may have well have been one of the best road victories for the Nuggets ( 27 - 33 ) this season , considering the environment and quality of opponent . Denver accomplished the rather improbable feat with a stellar offensive effort that saw seven players post double - digit scoring and the team collectively shoot an outstanding 56 percent from the floor and 43 percent from three - point range . Chicago 's cause was significantly undermined by an atypically poor shooting night from Jimmy Butler , who posted only eight points on a 3 - of - 13 tally from the floor . Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with 22 points , three rebounds and one steal . Wilson Chandler followed with 20 points , three rebounds , one assist and one block . Nikola Jokic bounced back after some recent modest games by his lofty standards , exploding for a 19 - point , 16 - rebound , 10 - assist triple - double that also included one block . Gary Harris went for 15 points , four rebounds , three assists and two steals . Will Barton matched Harris ' point total while leading the second unit and added eight boards , three assists , two steals and one block . Jameer Nelson managed 12 points , two rebounds and one assist . Jamal Murray tallied 14 points , three assists and two rebounds over 18 efficient minutes off the bench . Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo paced the Bulls ( 30 - 30 ) with matching 19 - point efforts , with the latter achieving his scoring in 24 minutes off the bench . Wade added six assists and four rebounds , while Rondo dished out five assists , hauled in four boards and recorded three steals . Bobby Portis stepped up with 12 points , six rebounds , one assist and three steals . Robin Lopez supplied 10 points , four assists , three boards and two blocks . Butler supplemented his aforementioned scoring total with four rebounds , three assists and three steals . The Nuggets continue their trek through the Midwest with a Wednesday night showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks , while the Bulls remain home and await the Golden State Warriors on Thursday evening .


The Chicago Bulls defeated the Golden State Warriors , 94 - 87 , at United Center on Thursday evening . The Warriors ( 50 - 11 ) knew that they 'd have a massive challenge on their hands in trying to make up for the extended absence of Kevin Durant ( knee ) , but also had to have a certain measure of confidence knowing that the Splash Bros. tandem that had been vastly successful before Durant 's arrival were ready to chuck away . That strategy fell woefully short Thursday , not necessarily in the margin of defeat , but rather , in overall offensive efficiency . Golden State shot an atypical 39 percent from the floor , including an unsightly 20 percent ( 6 - for - 30 ) from behind the arc . Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were particularly aggressive as expected , yet managed to drain only 15 of their combined 49 shot attempts . The Bulls ( 31 - 30 ) also won the battle down low , outrebounding the visitors by a 49 - 41 margin . Curry did lead the Warriors with 23 points , six rebounds , five assists and five steals . Thompson was a distant second , netting only 13 points ( 5 - 22 FG , 1 - 11 3Pt ) along with one rebound and one assist . Draymond Green , another player expected to help pick up the slack in Durant 's stead , posted 12 points , eight rebounds , seven assists , two blocks and one steal . Rookie Patrick McCaw , starting at small forward , tallied 11 points , four boards , two assists , two steals and one block . Andre Iguodala led the second unit with 10 points , seven rebounds and two assists . Jimmy Butler paced the Bulls with 22 points , six assists , five rebounds , four steals and one block . Bobby Portis managed a 17 - point , 13 - rebound double - double that also included one block . Dwyane Wade supplied 12 points , five rebounds , three assists and two steals . Robin Lopez registered 10 points , three rebounds and one block . The returning Paul Zipser led the bench with nine points , four rebounds , one assist and one steal . The Warriors head to the Big Apple to take on the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon , while the Bulls remain home for a Saturday night showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers .

In their first full game without Kevin Durant ( knee ) , Golden State shot an atypical 39 percent overall , including an unsightly 20 percent ( 6 - for - 30 ) from behind the arc . Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson managed to drain only 15 of their combined 49 shot attempts . The Bulls also won the rebounding battle , 49 - 41 . Curry 's 23 points led the Warriors . Thompson netted only 13 points ( 5 - 22 FG , 1 - 11 3Pt ) . Draymond Green 's full line consisted of 12 points , eight rebounds , seven assists , two blocks and one steal . Rookie Patrick McCaw started in Durant 's stead and tallied 11 points , while Andre Iguodala led the bench with 10 points . Jimmy Butler 's 22 points paced the Bulls . Bobby Portis managed a 17 - point , 13 - rebound double - double , while Dwyane Wade supplied 12 points . Robin Lopez registered 10 points , and Paul Zipser 's nine points led the bench .


The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Chicago Bulls , 101 - 91 , at United Center on Saturday night . The Clippers ( 37 - 25 ) had checked in to Saturday night uncharacteristically struggling , particularly on defense . They 'd lost four of their five games coming out of the All-Star break and had surrendered over 120 points in three of those contests . However , they got back to fundamental Clippers basketball against the Bulls ( 31 - 31 ) , limiting them to 42 percent shooting from the field and 35 percent from three - point range , while also eliciting 19 turnovers . Jamal Crawford stepped up off the bench by scoring a game - high 25 points and adding two rebounds , two assists and two steal , and four other players also hit double digits in the scoring column . Chris Paul was next behind Crawford with 17 points , four assists , two rebounds , two steals and one block . Blake Griffin followed with 16 points , seven assists and six rebounds . J.J. Redick was effective in his usual complementary role , registering 13 points and one rebound . Luc Mbah a Moute had a rare offensive outburst by his standards , totaling 12 points and adding three rebounds , one assist and one steal . DeAndre Jordan generated a modest six points but did haul in 14 rebounds , dish out three assists and record a steal . The Bulls were led by Jimmy Butler , who tallied 16 points , six assists , four rebounds and three steals . Robin Lopez generated 12 points , six rebounds and two assists . Bobby Portis scored 11 points and brought down seven rebounds . Dwyane Wade totaled 10 points , six rebounds , three assists and one steal . Paul Zipser paced the second unit with 10 points and two rebounds . The Clippers head back home to face the Boston Celtics on Monday night , while the Bulls head to Detroit to take on the Pistons in a Monday evening showdown .

The Clippers broke out of a recent defensive slump by limiting the Bulls to 42 percent shooting from the field and 35 percent from three - point range , while also eliciting 19 turnovers . Jamal Crawford scored a game - high 25 points off the bench . Chris Paul was next behind Crawford with 17 points , while fellow superstar Blake Griffin followed with 16 points , seven assists and six rebounds . J.J. Redick registered 13 points and Luc Mbah a Moute had a rare offensive outburst by his standards , totaling 12 points . DeAndre Jordan generated a modest six points but hauled in 14 rebounds . Jimmy Butler 's 16 points led Chicago . Robin Lopez generated 12 points , six rebounds and two assists . Bobby Portis scored 11 points and Dwyane Wade totaled 10 points on 2 - of - 11 shooting . Paul Zipser paced the second unit with 10 points .


The Houston Rockets defeated the Chicago Bulls , 115 - 94 , at United Center on Friday evening . The Rockets ( 45 - 21 ) have been one of the NBA 's best squads all season , and a great deal of their success is rightfully attributed to their prolific offense . Typically , it 's the spectacular efforts of James Harden that spearhead the Houston attack , but Friday 's path to victory was a bit of a departure from the norm . It was the returning Ryan Anderson , who 'd missed the team 's tilt against the Jazz on Wednesday with a back injury , that led the way with 21 points , three rebounds and one steal . Additionally , a stellar defensive effort , one that saw Houston limit their hosts to success rates of 39 percent from the field and 23 percent from three - point range , while also forcing them into 18 turnovers , that was pivotal to the win . The Rockets also outscored the Bulls ( 31 - 34 ) by a whopping 69 - 30 margin over the second and third periods , sealing the win before the fourth quarter even began . Harden was second behind Anderson with 19 points , 13 assists , seven rebounds and three steals . He left the game late in the first quarter for a time after getting his foot stepped on but ultimately returned . Clint Capela followed with 17 points , seven boards and one assist . Trevor Ariza turned in an 11 - point , 13 - rebound double - double that also included one assist and two steals . Lou Williams led the bench with 18 points , three rebounds , one assist , two steals and one block . Dwyane Wade paced the Bulls in his return from a two - game absence due to a thigh injury , as he collected 21 points , three rebounds , two assists and two steals . Jimmy Butler totaled 16 points , five rebounds , four assists and one steal . Cameron Payne led the bench with 11 points , two rebounds , two assists and one steal . Bobby Portis produced eight points , six rebounds and one steal , while Paul Zipser , Rajon Rondo and Denzel Valentine all matched Portis ' point total off the bench . The Rockets remain home and await the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night , while the Bulls make the trek to Beantown for a Sunday afternoon showdown with the Boston Celtics .

The returning Ryan Anderson 's 21 points led the way for Houston . The Rockets limited the Bulls to success rates of 39 percent from the field and 23 percent from three - point range , while forcing them into 18 turnovers . Chicago was outscored by a 69 - 30 margin over the second and third periods . Harden was second behind Anderson with a 19 - point , 13 - assist double - double . Clint Capela followed with 17 points , while Trevor Ariza turned in an 11 - point , 13 - rebound double - double . Lou Williams ' 18 points led the bench . Dwyane Wade paced the Bulls with 21 points after a two - game absence due to a thigh injury . Jimmy Butler totaled 16 points , while Cameron Payne led the bench with 11 points . Bobby Portis produced eight points and six rebounds , and Paul Zipser , Rajon Rondo and Denzel Valentine all matched Portis ' point total as reserves .


The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the host Chicago Bulls , 98 - 91 , at United Center on Wednesday evening . The Grizzlies led 54 - 50 at halftime , before going on a 100 to start the third quarter , stretching their lead to 14 , with nine minutes left in the third . However , the Bulls managed to battle back with an 11 - 2 run of their own , cutting the deficit to five points with 5:22 left in the quarter . The Bulls continued to battle , keeping it close , with the score at 85 - 83 with 4:20 left in the fourth , but Grizzles finished strong to earn the win . Marc Gasol and Mike Conley paved the way for the Grizzlies ( 38 - 30 ) , with a game - high 27 points each . Gasol added seven assists and six rebounds , while Conley tallied nine rebounds and seven assists . Tony Allen was the only other player to score in double digits for the Grizz , as he finished with 10 points . The Grizzlies bench chipped in 23 points , led by Zach Randolph , who had eight points , nine rebounds and three assists , in 25 minutes . This marked the second straight win for the Grizzlies , who continue to battle for position in the West , where they sit in seventh place , and within reach of fifth . They will be right back in action on Thursday for the second game of a back - to - back , when they take on the Hawks in Atlanta . Meanwhile , the Bulls ( 32 - 36 ) struggled from the field , shooting only 37 percent . Rajon Rondo was the high - point man for Chicago , with 17 points , while the only other starter to score in double digits was Jimmy Butler , who finished with 14 points on 4 - of - 16 shooting . Dwyane Wade shot only 3 - of - 11 from the field on his way to eight points , before leaving the game with an apparent elbow injury . Nikola Mirotic added 14 points off the bench , and Denzel Valentine added 11 . The Bulls have slipped down to 10th place in the East and do not have much room for error if they hope to make their way back into the top eight . They will look to bounce back as they take on the Wizards in Washington on Friday .

Mike Conley led the way for the Grizzlies with 27 points on an efficient 8 - of - 12 shooting , including 5 - of - 8 from long range , to go along with nine rebounds , seven assists and one steal , in 36 minutes . Marc Gasol also finished with 27 points but took a few more shots to get there , as he went 10 - of - 21 from the field , to go along with seven assists and six rebounds , in 37 minutes . Tony Allen was the only other player to score in double digits for the Grizzlies , as he finished with 10 points . Meanwhile , the Bulls struggled from the field , shooting 37 percent , with Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade combining for 7 - of - 27 from the field . Butler finished with 14 points , while Wade chipped in 11 . Rajon Rondo was the high - point man for Chicago with 17 , in 35 minutes of action .


The Chicago Bulls defeated the visiting Utah Jazz , 95 - 86 , at United Center on Saturday evening . The Jazz led by 12 late in the first quarter but the Bulls battled back to make it a four - point game by halftime . Chicago came out strong in the second half , taking the lead three minutes into the third quarter . The game remained close until the final three minutes , where the Bulls closed the game on a 10 - 3 run . After losing two straight , Chicago ( 32 - 37 ) got a much - needed win , as Jimmy Butler led the way 23 points , seven assists , four rebounds , three steals and two blocks , in 38 minutes . The Bulls got a serious boost from a couple of youngsters , as Bobby Portis poured in a career - high 22 points on 10 - of - 13 shooting , to go along with five rebounds , in 31 minutes off the bench ; and Denzel Valentine notched his first career double - double , with 11 points and 12 rebounds , in 28 minutes off the bench . The Bulls will need everything they can get down the stretch , in order to keep their playoff hopes alive . They look ahead to Tuesday , when they take on the Raptors in Toronto . Meanwhile , the Jazz ( 43 - 27 ) shot only 38 percent from the field and 28 percent from long range , as they struggled to stay composed down the stretch . Five players scored in double digits for Utah , led by George Hill , who finished with 18 points , seven rebounds and four assists , in 37 minutes . Gordon Hayward followed up with 14 points , six rebounds , four steals and two assists , while Rudy Gobert double - doubled with 13 points , 13 rebounds , five blocks and two assists , before fouling out in the final minutes . The Jazz will look to bounce back as they visit Indiana to take on the Pacers on Monday .

Jimmy Butler was the high - point man in the contest , as he led the Bulls with 23 points on 8 - of - 18 shooting , to go along with seven assists , four rebounds , three steals and two blocks , in 38 minutes of action . Bobby Portis came up huge off the bench , with a career - high 22 points on super - efficient 10 - of - 13 shooting , in 31 minutes . Denzel Valentine also had a notable game for his young career , as he notched his first double - double , with 11 points and 12 rebounds , in 28 minutes off the bench . Meanwhile , the Jazz shot only 38 percent from the field , including 28 percent from long range . Five players scored in double digits for Utah , led by George Hill , who finished with 18 points . Gordon Hayward followed up with 14 points , while Rudy Gobert finished with 13 points , 13 rebounds and five blocks .


Joffrey Lauvergne posted 17 points and seven rebounds in his spot start for Robin Lopez ( suspension ) , while Nikola Mirotic tallied a game - high 28 points . Chicago blew open a close game by outscoring the Pistons by a 58 - 42 margin over the third and fourth quarters . Jimmy Butler was next behind Mirotic and Lauvergne with a 16 - point , 12 - assist double - double . Paul Zipser turned in 15 points , while Rajon Rondo supplied only five points but added nine assists . Bobby Portis led the bench with 12 points . The Pistons were led by matching 14 - point efforts from Tobias Harris and Maurice Morris . Ish Smith ran with the starters in place of Reggie Jackson and delivered nine points . Andre Drummond generated a modest eight points but also brought down 17 rebounds . Jon Leuer led the bench with 13 points while Stanley Johnson added 12 .

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Detroit Pistons , 117 - 95 , at United Center on Wednesday night . The Bulls ( 34 - 38 ) came into Wednesday 's contest missing big man Robin Lopez , who 'd been suspended for his part in a fight with the Raptors ' Serge Ibaka on Tuesday evening . His absence was potentially hurtful , as Lopez had been playing a much larger role in the offense following Dwyane Wade 's season - ending elbow injury . However , Joffrey Lauvergne , who 'd shown flashes of offensive prowess during his limited opportunities in Denver and Oklahoma City , stepped up in his spot start to post 17 points , seven rebounds , three assists and one steal . Meanwhile , Nikola Mirotic made the most of his starting role as well , as he tallied a game - high 28 points to go along with five boards , two assists , three steals and one block . Chicago also blew open a close game in the second half by outscoring the Pistons ( 34 - 38 ) by a 58 - 42 margin over the third and fourth quarters . The Pistons were led by matching 14 - point efforts from Tobias Harris and Maurice Morris . The former added four boards , three assists and one steal , while the latter posted three rebounds and one assist . Ish Smith ran with the first unit in pace of Reggie Jackson and delivered nine points , seven assists , one rebound and three steals . Andre Drummond generated a modest eight points but also brought down 17 rebounds and recorded a block . Jon Leuer led the bench with 13 points , six rebounds and one assist while Stanley Johnson totaled 12 points and three boards . Jimmy Butler was next behind Mirotic and Lauvergne with a 16 - point , 12 - assist double - double that also included two steals . Paul Zipser turned in 15 points , four rebounds , two assists , a steal and a block . Rajon Rondo supplied only five points but did add nine assists , two rebounds and a steal . Bobby Portis led the second unit with 12 points , six rebounds and a pair of assists . The Pistons next head down to Central Florida for a Friday evening date with the Orlando Magic , while the Bulls are home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night as well .


The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the host Chicago Bulls , 117 - 107 , at United Center on Friday . Chicago was expected to win this game easily , but Philadelphia had other ideas . They did most of their damage in the middle quarters , as they outscored the Bulls , 69 - 43 , in the second and third quarter . Shooting was the glaring difference , with the Sixers shooting 55 percent to the Bulls 41 percent . Philadelphia also took care of the glass , winning the rebounding battle , 46 - 39 . It was n't just the rebounding , as the Sixers outscored the Bulls , 70 - 30 , in the paint . The Sixers ( 27 - 45 ) have really struggled recently , but they 're still playing as hard as anyone . Dario Saric led the way , as he collected 32 points and 10 rebounds . T.J. McConnell was the only other starter in double figures , as he accrued 10 points , five rebounds , eight assists and three steals . Philly 's bench was huge , with Gerald Henderson , Shawn Long and Sergio Rodriguez all scoring in double figures , Rodriguez finished with 12 points , four rebounds and seven assists , while Long amassed 18 points and seven rebounds . On deck for the Sixers is a road matchup versus the Indiana Pacers on Sunday . The Bulls ( 34 - 39 ) have just three wins in their last 12 games , with this being one of the low points of the season . Jimmy Butler did all he could though , leading the team with 36 points , seven rebounds , 11 assists and three steals . Nikola Mirotic was the only other starter with more than four points , as he totaled 15 points , four rebounds and two assists . Bobby Portis played well off the bench , amassing 17 points and 11 rebounds on 8 - of - 11 from the field . Rajon Rondo accumulated four points , four rebounds , five assists and four steals . The Bulls will look to play better on Sunday in a road matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks .

Chicago were heavy favorites in this matchup , but Philadelphia really put it to them in the middle quarters . In fact , the Sixers outscored the Bulls , 69 - 43 in the second and third quarters . Philly took care of business down low , as they won the rebounding battle , 46 - 39 and outscored Chicago , 70 - 30 , in the paint . Dario Saric was the star for Philly , as he tallied 32 points and 10 rebounds . T.J. McConnell finished second among starters , accruing 10 points , five rebounds , eight assists and three steals . Shawn Long came off the bench to provide 18 points and seven rebounds . Jimmy Butler did all he could for the Bulls , as he accumulated 36 points , seven rebounds , 11 assists and three steals . Nikola Mirotic finished with 15 points and four rebounds . Bobby Portis recorded a double - double off the bench , totaling 17 points and 11 rebounds .


The Chicago Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 99 - 93 Thursday at United Center . It was n't the best start for the home team , as the Bulls ( 36 - 39 ) struggled offensively through the first 24 minutes of Thursday 's game and faced a nine - point deficit at halftime . Then , something clicked for Chicago in the third quarter , as they nearly doubled up over the next 12 minutes and outscored the Cavaliers ( 47 - 27 ) by 16 points and held on to that lead for the remainder of the game . Nikola Mirotic continues to be on a hot streak , as he led the team Thursday with 28 points on 9 - of - 14 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds . Jimmy Butler was n't too far behind , scoring 25 points of his own to go along with six rebounds and five assists . As a team , it was the Bulls hot outside shooting that carried them through the the second half , as they shot a scorching 48 percent from behind the arc . The victory completes a regular season sweep for the Bulls over Cleveland . As for the Cavaliers , they have now lost three straight games and drop to 6 - 10 over the month of March . The problems Thursday night stemmed from their lack of production from their second unit , as while four of five starters managed to score at least 12 points , the Cavaliers only got 12 total points form their bench . LeBron James led the way with an impressive performance , finishing with a team - high 26 points , 10 rebounds and eight assists in 39 minutes , while Kyrie Irving scored 20 points of his own . Up next , the Cavaliers will look to get back on the right track Friday against the 76ers , while the Bulls will continue their playoff push Saturday against the Hawks .


The Chicago Bulls defeated the Atlanta Hawks , 106 - 104 , at United Center on Saturday . In a battle between two teams trying to achieve a playoff berth , they left it all on the line in this close - fought battle . While there were only nine ties and nine lead changes in total , neither team led by more than 10 points . Jimmy Butler was the hero , as he hit two free - throws with two seconds left to take the lead and eventually win the game . Shooting was key for Chicago , as they hit 47 percent of their shots , while holding Atlanta to just 44 percent . The Bulls were also perfect from the free - throw line , as they went 14 - of - 14 , with the Hawks hitting 13 - of - 17 . The Hawks ( 39 - 37 ) have now lost eight of their last 10 games , as they 're backpedaling their way into the postseason . Dennis Schroder led the way for Atlanta , as he tallied 29 points , seven rebounds and six assists on 12 - of - 19 shooting . Tim Hardaway Jr. finished second on the team , totaling 20 points , five rebounds and five assists . Dwight Howard recorded a double - double , amassing 13 points , 12 rebounds and three assists . Ersan Ilyasova started for Paul Millsap and contributed 13 points , four rebounds and four assists . Atlanta will be in action again on Sunday , as they take on the Brooklyn Nets in New York . The Bulls ( 37 - 39 ) continue to battle for a playoff berth , as this marks their third - straight victory . Butler not only hit the game - winning free - throws , he led the team with 33 points , five rebounds and eight assists . Rajon Rondo was equally as valuable , collecting 25 points , 11 rebounds , six assists and three steals . Nikola Mirotic accrued eight points , nine rebounds , five assists and two steals . Denzel Valentine led the bench with 13 points and two rebounds . On deck for Chicago is a road matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday .


The Chicago Bulls defeated the Orlando Magic , 122 - 75 , at United Center on Monday . Chicago needed this game to keep their playoff hopes alive and they ended this one early in a dominating effort . In fact , the Bulls held at least an 18 - point lead for the final three quarters , in addition to leading by at least 30 for the entire fourth quarter . All the statistics were lopsided , as Chicago shot 54 percent from the field , while holding Orlando to just 35 percent on their end . The Bulls also dominated the rebounding differential , winning that battle , 54 - 37 . Orlando really struggled from long range too , hitting just 5 - of - 27 from three - point range , while Chicago went 12 - of - 26 . The Magic ( 28 - 53 ) had a tough task here against a motivated Bulls team and this ended up being one of their ugliest losses of the season . Nikola Vucevic was a bright spot for Orlando , as he tallied 14 points , 10 rebounds and two assists . Aaron Gordon finished with 10 points , six rebounds and two assists . Elfrid Payton accumulated 11 points , seven rebounds and four assists . Bismack Biyombo played well off the bench , totaling seven points , seven rebounds , two steals and two blocks . The Magic 's next and final game is on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons . The Bulls ( 40 - 41 ) were tied for the eighth - seed in the east coming into this game , so to say this win was crucial would be a drastic understatement . Jerian Grant started for Rajon Rondo and accrued 17 points , 11 assists and two steals . Jimmy Butler matched those 17 points , adding five rebounds , three assists and three steals to his tally . Robin Lopez led the team , as he amassed 18 points and eight rebounds . Nikola Mirotic collected 16 points , five rebounds , two assists and two steals . The Bulls have a great matchup in their final game , as they host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday .


The Chicago Bulls defeated the Brooklyn Nets , 112 - 73 , at United Center on Wednesday . This game meant much more to Chicago than Brooklyn and a 39 - point margin shows just that . It was a wire - to - wire win for the Bulls , as they led by 14 after the first quarter and ended up winning the fourth quarter , 37 - 17 , to pull away in dominating fashion . Three-point shooting was a glaring difference , with Brooklyn hitting just 3 - of - 33 and Chicago going 14 - of - 30 . Rebounding was a huge factor as well , with Chicago winning that battle , 62 - 48 . It was the Bulls defense that was especially feisty , as they held Brooklyn to 33 percent shooting and that aforementioned ugly three - point total . The Nets ( 20 - 62 ) played this game without most of their starters and that was evident by this final scoreline . Archie Goodwin was Brooklyn 's best player , as he provided 20 points , seven rebounds and four assists . K.J . McDaniels finished second on the team , dropping 15 points and six rebounds off the bench as well . Caris LeVert was the only starter in double figures , as he totaled 10 points , five rebounds and two assists . The Bulls ( 41 - 41 ) needed this win to clinch a playoff berth and they did it in dominating fashion . Jimmy Butler was the player of the game , as he tallied 25 points , six rebounds , four assists , four steals and two blocks . Paul Zipser finished second on the team , amassing 21 points and six rebounds off the bench . Bobby Portis recorded a double - double off the bench as well , accruing 12 points and 10 rebounds .


As was often the case on the road last year 's NBA championship , the combination of LeBron James , Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were almost enough to conquer the opposition on their own Tuesday . Irving led the way against the Knicks with 29 points on 12 - for - 22 shooting , while James and Love managed a triple - double and double - double , respectively . The pair combined for 23 boards ( 18 defensive ) and 16 assists while shooting 27 - for - 51 ( 53 percent ) . The trio 's combined scoring total of 71 points accounted for all but eight of the first unit 's scoreboard contributions . By comparison , Carmelo Anthony , Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis managed only a combined 52 points on a 42 percent ( 20 - for - 48 ) success rate from the floor , while the other two members of the Knicks ' first unit , Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah , notably failed to score altogether .

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the visiting New York Knicks , 117 - 88 , at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday . The new - look Knicks ( 0 - 1 ) , who added Joakim Noah , Derrick Rose and Courtney Lee in a makeover of their starting five this offseason , had their moments at various points until the middle of the third quarter , at which point LeBron James , Kyrie Irving and rest of the defending NBA champions started to exert their dominance . New York 's comeback efforts were ultimately undermined by a collectively poor shooting night , vulnerability down in the paint despite the presence of Noah and standout second - year forward Kristaps Porzingis , and carelessness with the ball . New York managed just 37 percent shooting from the field , was out - rebounded on the defensive glass by a 40 - 29 margin , was outscored 52 - 28 in the paint , and allowed 21 points to the Cavs off 18 turnovers , all pivotal factors in a 29 - point defeat . New York was led by Carmelo Anthony , who played only 30 minutes in the blowout but managed 19 points , five rebounds , three assists and a steal . Rose put together a 17 - point effort in his Knicks debut after missing most of the preseason , but could only supplement the scoring with three rebounds , an assist and a block . Porzingis was solid with 16 points , seven rebounds , a steal and a pair of rejections , with more than half his scoring coming on three made three - pointers on five attempts . However , Noah and Lee were shut out on the scoreboard altogether , with the former making up somewhat for his lack of points with six boards , three assists and a steal in a modest 20 minutes . The decisive second - half lead the Cavs ( 10 ) eventually built up allowed their two biggest superstars to finish the last several minutes on the bench . Irving , often matched up against a rusty Derrick Rose , paced the Cavs with 29 points , four assists , two rebounds and two steals . James posted a triple - double , totaling 19 points , 14 assists , 11 rebounds and a block in just 32 minutes . Kevin Love contributed a double - double with 23 points , 12 boards , a pair of assists and a trio of steals . The recently re - signed J.R. Smith supplied eight points on 3 - for - 13 shooting against his former Knicks teammates . The Knicks head back to New York for their home opener against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night . The Cavaliers hit the road for the first time this season to take on the Toronto Raptors on Friday evening .


The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the visiting Orlando Magic , 105 - 99 , on Saturday night at Quicken Loans Arena . The Cavs remain undefeated as they held on to avoid a collapse against the feisty Magic . Despite having not won a game yet this season , the Magic fought hard and right down to the wire in this one . Orlando battled back from a 17 - point deficit at halftime to make it a three - point game with about three minutes left but J.R Smith responded with back - to - back three - pointers , to put the Cavs back in control . Cleveland ( 30 ) was led by the superstar tandem of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving , who combined for 43 points , on the second night of a back - to - back . Meanwhile , Kevin Love added 19 points and J.R. Smith chipped in 16 , while Tristan Thompson took care of business in the paint , hauling in 12 rebounds . The Cavs will have a couple days rest before they are back in action on Tuesday when they host James Harden and the Rockets . The Magic ( 0 - 3 ) have had a rough start to their season but that can somewhat be expected of a team that is sporting a new look ; while , having to face the defending champs after a couple of tough losses is certainly an extra challenge . Nonetheless , the Magic put up a fight as they battled back to give the Cavs a scare late in the fourth . Evan Fournier led the way for Orlando with 22 points in 37 minutes . The Magic look to nab their first win of the season when they visit Philly to take on the 76ers on Tuesday .

The Magic shot 45 percent from the field , while the Cavs shot 41 percent Saturday . Orlando 's 20 turnovers were a big help for Cleveland as they led to 23 points by the Cavs . The Magic out - rebounded the Cavs but their struggles with turnovers and troubles at the free - throw line , where they shot 15/26 , outweighed the positives . Serge Ibaka shot 58 percent from the field , on his way to 19 points , while Fournier shot 56 percent on his way to a team - high 22 points . Meanwhile , Kyrie Irving shot only 38 percent from the field and Kevin Love only 35 percent . The Cavs had 25 bench points , while Orlando had 29 . Cleveland won every quarter except the fourth , where they were out - scored 37 - 25 . Bismack Biyombo played only 19 minutes in his second game with the Magic . The Cavs remain undefeated , while Orlando remains searching for its first win .


The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Houston Rockets , 128 - 120 , at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday . Despite LeBron James ' well - earned reputation as the linchpin of the Cavs ' attack , Kyrie Irving has n't been a particularly bad second option as a source of scoring . This season , it 's been Irving who 's taken the reins of the offense over the first four games for Cleveland ( 40 ) , and this was once again on display in what turned out to be a shootout against the James Harden and the Rockets ( 2 - 2 ) . The All-Star point guard went for a team - high 32 points and added four assists and two rebounds . As has been the case in each contest , Irving was highly efficient with his shots , draining 10 of 19 attempts from the field overall and finding the net on four of his six three - point tries . Factoring in Tuesday 's production , the sixth - year pro has a stellar 54 percent ( 15 - for - 28 ) success rate from behind the arc over the first four games . His red - hot shooting helped the Cavs shoot 52 and 50 percent from the field and three - point range , respectively . Houston was led by a 41 - point effort from Harden , which also included 15 assists , seven rebounds and a steal . The former two - guard has taken well to his new spot manning the point , already averaging 12 assists per game while still maintaining a scoring average of 35 points . Eric Gordon was a distant second with 16 points , three assists , two rebounds and two steals . Ryan Anderson shot well from long distance but not overall , totaling 12 points , four rebounds and an assist . While the stretch - four sank four of seven three - point attempts , he was 0 - for - 5 from in front of the arc . Trevor Ariza contributed 11 points , two assists and a rebound , while Nene Hilario paced the reserves with 13 points , five rebounds , four assists and a block . Kevin Love , whose play often goes under the radar given the typical efforts of Irving and James , continued his strong start to the season with 24 points , five boards , two steals and a block . James tallied a 19 - point , 13 - rebound double - double and complemented it with eight assists . After a pair of eight - point outings to start the season , J.R. Smith went for double digits in the scoring column for the second straight game , collecting 15 points , three rebounds and two assists . Tristan Thompson contributed 10 rebounds and the duo of Channing Frye and Mike Dunleavy supplied a pair of 11 - point tallies from the bench . The Rockets now travel to New York for a Wednesday night tussle with the Knicks , while the Cavs remain home and await the Boston Celtics for a Thursday night showdown .

Kyrie Irving 's red - hot start continued Tuesday , with his 10 - for - 19 shooting tally from the field and 4 - for - 6 mark from beyond the arc leading the Cavs to record 52 and 50 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively . Cleveland was markedly more efficient than the Rockets from the charity stripe , successfully converting 84 of their 31 free - throw attempts . They out - rebounded the Rockets by a 46 - 32 margin as well , in large part due to James and Tristan Thompson combining for half of that tally . The Rockets continue to lean heavily on Harden , who once again paced the team with 41 points while setting up another 30 - plus through his 15 assists . The remainder of the starting five outside of Eric Gordon continues to struggle to muster consistent offense , however , and went a combined 11 - for - 28 from the field .


The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 128 - 122 on Thursday at Quicken Loans Arena . The score indicates a closer game than it actually was , as after the Cavaliers ( 50 ) took a 17 - point lead headed into the final period , the Celtics ( 3 - 2 ) came roaring back to at least make the game interesting , but six points was as close as they were going to get . After being rather passive scoring - wise through the first four games of the regular season , LeBron James exploded going for a game - high 30 points on top of 12 assists and seven rebounds in 36 minutes . The other two members of Cleveland 's big three also put together big nights , with Kevin Love recording 26 points and eight rebounds , as he continues his hot start to the season , and Kyrie Irving scoring 23 points of his own . As a team , the Cavaliers managed to do plenty of damage from behind the arc — where they shot 41 percent from — and the free throw line — where they shot an incredible 37 shots from , making 32 of them . Boston , on the other hand , came into this game missing both Jae Crowder ( ankle ) and Al Horford ( concussion ) and were carried by their starting backcourt consisting of Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley . Thomas recorded a game - high 30 points while scoring nearly half of his points from the free throw line , as he shot 14 - of - 14 from the charity stripe . The rest of his Boston teammates struggled getting to the line , however , as they shot just 5 - of - 8 from the stripe over the course of Thursday 's game . Bradley was n't too far behind , recording a double - double of 26 points and 10 rebounds over 39 minutes . It was rookie Jaylen Brown , however , who had the game 's breakout performance , scoring a career - high 19 points and grabbing five rebounds after getting the start in place of the injured Crowder . Up next , the Cavaliers will head to Philadelphia on Saturday to take on the 76ers , while the Celtics will have off until Sunday when they will take on the Nuggets .

It was another monster day for Cleveland 's big three consisting of LeBron James , Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving , as they combined to score 79 of the teams 128 points Thursday night . This has been nothing new for the Cavaliers ' stars this season , as they are scoring a combined 70 points per game through the first five game of the season . If the big three can continue to score at this high of a rate , especially Kevin Love , this team will give defenses problem all year . For the Celtics , the story of the game from them was rookie wing Jaylen Brown 's explosion in the box score amidst his start in the place of an injured Jae Crowder . After scoring a combined 27 points in his first four games as a pro , Brown made the most of his 35 minutes of playing time , scoring 19 points on 8 - of - 16 shooting from the field , which included three 3 - pointers .


The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers , 110 - 106 , at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday . The reigning NBA champs came into Tuesday as the league 's last undefeated team , with four of their victories having come at home . However , Atlanta ( 5 - 2 ) came into the game sporting one of the NBA 's stingiest defenses , having allowed the sixth - least points per game . Something was likely to give , and surprisingly , it was Cleveland 's ( 6 - 1 ) unblemished mark . The Hawks got standout efforts from Dennis Schroder , Kent Bazemore and Paul Millsap , while Dwight Howard also hauled in 17 rebounds . Bazemore drilled a key jumper with 7 seconds remaining to help seal the win and cap off a stellar 51 percent shooting night for Atlanta . Schroder 's season - high 28 points led the Hawks , which he complemented with six assists and two rebounds . Bazemore totaled 25 points , six rebounds and three assists , and drained four of his six three - point attempts . Millsap pitched in 21 points , five boards and an assist , while Howard added seven points , two assists and three blocks . Mike Muscala paced the bench with 10 points , three rebounds , two assists and a block . The Cavs were led by Kyrie Irving 's game - high 29 points , which he needed a whopping 27 shot attempts to get to . He also posted four assists , a rebound , a steal and a block . Kevin Love continued his stretch of excellent early - season play , supplying 24 points , 12 rebounds , three assists and two steals . LeBron James registered a typically full stat line of 23 points , nine rebounds , five assists and three steals . Channing Frye led the reserves with 13 points , seven rebounds and an assist . The Hawks head back home to take on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night , while the Cavaliers travel to Washington to take on the Wizards on Friday evening .

A trio of 20 - point - plus efforts and a 17 - rebound night helped hand the Cavs a surprising home loss , their first defeat of the season overall . Dennis Schroder 's season - high 28 points led the way , while Kent Bazemore put together a stellar 25 - point tally while often going up against LeBron James ' typically stingy defense . Dwight Howard dominated down low with 17 boards , 15 of them on the defensive glass . Atlanta managed a strong 51 percent success rate from the field , helping to key the victory . Kyrie Irving posted 29 points , which came on a season - high 27 shot attempts . Kevin Love 's 24 - point , 12 - rebound double - double was next , while LeBron James posted 23 points . Poor shooting was Cleveland 's undoing , as they posted a 37 percent success rate from the field , and 26 percent on 42 shot attempts from beyond the arc .


Channing Frye 's season - high 20 points spearheaded a comeback victory for the Cavs on Sunday , who entered the fourth quarter trailing by one . LeBron James also scored 11 of his 19 points in the final period , while Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving combined for 36 points overall . The Cavs played stifling defense , particularly in the second half , holding the Hornets to 39 points over the final 24 minutes and 38 percent success rates from both the field and three - point range . The Hornets received a typically solid effort from Kemba Walker , who contributed 21 points , and also saw Marvin Williams and Nicolas Batum combine for 31 points , 15 rebounds and nine assists . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist posted an 11 - point , 10 - rebound double - double and Charlotte only turned the ball over five times overall , but found themselves unable to sustain the fourth - quarter advantage .

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 100 - 93 , at Quicken Loans Arena on Sunday . More often than not , the trio of LeBron James , Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving are essentially enough to overcome most opponents . It was a different story Sunday , however , as veteran Channing Frye actually led the way with a season - high 20 - point effort in 25 minutes off the bench . The aforementioned starters were n't necessarily underwhelming , as they combined for 55 points , including four total three - pointers from Love and James . Defense was also undeniably a factor , as Cleveland ( 8 - 1 ) held the Hornets ( 6 - 3 ) to 38 percent success rates from both the field and three - point range . The Hornets were led by Kemba Walker , who tallied 21 points , four assists , two rebounds and a steal . Marvin Williams posted 16 points , six rebounds and two assists . Nicolas Batum managed a near double - double with 15 points , nine boards , seven assists , two steals and a block . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist did get there , supplying 11 points , 10 rebounds , two assists and a steal . Frye added three rebounds and three blocks to his team - high scoring total . A pair of 19 - point efforts from James and Irving paced the starting five , with the former also filling out the stat sheet with eight rebounds , eight assists , a steal and a block and the latter dishing out four assists , posting three rebounds and recording a steal . Love was strong as well , pouring in 17 points and bringing in 11 rebounds , four assists and a steal . Tristan Thompson mustered a modest four points , but did bring in 12 rebounds . The Hornets move on to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on Tuesday night , while the Cavaliers remain home to take on the Raptors on Tuesday evening as well .


The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors , 121 - 117 , at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday . The two teams had already engaged in a tight defensive battle in the second game of the season , with the Cavs emerging as 94 - 91 victors . Tuesday saw a completely different game unfold , with both teams exploding for some of their best point totals of the season . As usual , Cleveland ( 8 - 1 ) was led by the Big Three of Kyrie Irving , LeBron James and Kevin Love , who combined for 71 of the Cavs ' 121 points , which included double - doubles from the latter two . Strong performances from Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye also helped lead to a stellar 53 percent team tally from the field . The Raptors ( 7 - 3 ) were led by Kyle Lowry , who posted a near double - double with 28 points , nine assists , five rebounds and four steals . DeMar DeRozan followed with 26 points , six rebounds , four assists and three steals , but struggled from the field , going just 10 - of - 27 . Jonas Valanciunas compiled 14 points , nine rebounds and a pair of dimes . Norman Powell drew the start at small forward and contributed 12 points , three rebounds , three assists and a block . Terrence Ross paced the reserves with an 18 - point effort that he complemented with three rebounds and two steals . His impressive performance included a 4 - of - 7 tally from three - point range . James scored a team - high 28 points and added 14 assists , nine boards and a steal , but committed a game - high five turnovers as well . Irving supplied 24 points , five rebounds , four assists and two steals , although he also handed the ball to the opposition on five occasions . Love registered a 19 - point , 13 - rebound double - double that also included an assist and three blocks . Thompson got in on the act with 15 points , 11 boards and a block , while Frye paced the bench with 21 points in just 20 minutes . He also hit a huge three - point jumper with 59 seconds remaining that gave Cleveland a 117 - 115 lead that they would n't relinquish again . The Raptors head back home to take on the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday , while the Cavaliers hit the road for their own Wednesday night tussle with the Indiana Pacers .

The Big Three of Kyrie Irving , LeBron James and Kevin Love combined for 71 of the Cavs ' 121 points , with the latter two also posting double - doubles . Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye were also strong contributors , with the former equaling a season - high with 15 points and the latter supplying 21 points in just 20 minutes , including a go - ahead three - pointer with 59 seconds remaining . The Raptors were led by Kyle Lowry 's near double - double of 28 points , nine assists , five rebounds and four steals . DeMar DeRozan supplied 26 points as well , but only went 10 - of - 27 from the field . Jonas Valanciunas compiled 14 points , nine rebounds and a pair of dimes , while Norman Powell contributed 12 points in a start at small forward . Terrence Ross paced the reserves with 18 points , including a 4 - of - 7 tally from beyond the arc .


The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons , 104 - 81 , at Quicken Loans Arena on Friday . After resting LeBron James and J.R. Smith in their last contest , the Cavs ( 10 - 2 ) came in to Friday 's matchup with their starting five fully intact . While the Big Three of James , Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving turned in their typically solid offensive performances , it was a suffocating defense that keyed the comfortable victory . Cleveland held the Pistons ( 6 - 7 ) to a 31 percent success rate from the field and only one Detroit player , Jon Leuer , was able to post double - digit scoring . The Cavaliers jumped out to a 30 - 19 lead in the first quarter , an advantage they would never relinquish . The Pistons ' top scorers were Tobias Harris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope , who each tallied a pair of nine - point efforts . Andre Drummond supplied a modest eight points , but he was able to haul in 10 rebounds and also dished out two assists and recorded a steal and a block . Marcus Morris continued his offensive slump with a seven - point output on 3 - of - 11 shooting , making it his third straight game with single - digit scoring . Leuer added seven rebounds to his team - high scoring effort . Irving paced Cleveland with 25 points , 11 assists , two rebounds and a steal . James posted 21 points , three rebounds , three assists and a block . Love put together a 12 - point , 13 - rebound double - double that also included an assist . Tristan Thompson registered eight points but also brought in 14 boards , dished out two assists and recorded four blocks . Iman Shumpert led the reserves with nine points . The Pistons head back home to await the Boston Celtics for a Saturday night showdown , while the Cavaliers will have four days off before taking on the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday .

A suffocating defense keyed the comfortable victory for Cleveland , which held the Pistons to a 31 percent success rate from the field . Only one Detroit player , Jon Leuer , managed double - digit scoring . Irving paced Cleveland with a 25 - point , 11 - assist double - double , while James posted 21 points in his return from a one - game absence due to rest . Love put together a 12 - point , 13 - rebound double - double that also included an assist , and Tristan Thompson brought in 14 boards and recorded four blocks . The Pistons ' top scorers were Tobias Harris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope , who each tallied a pair of nine - point efforts in the loss . Andre Drummond supplied a modest eight points , but he was able to haul in 10 rebounds , while Marcus Morris continued his offensive slump with a seven - point output on 3 - of - 11 shooting , making it his third straight game with single - digit scoring .


The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers , 137 - 125 , at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday . Kevin Love has looked much more comfortable with the Cavs this season and it really showed in this dominating win . Love set an NBA-record with 34 first - quarter points , going 8 - of - 11 from three - point range . He finished the game with just 40 points , but that was still a career - best with Cleveland . The Cavaliers offense was clicking on all cylinders , as they shot 53 percent ( 48 - of - 90 ) from the field and 58 percent from three - point range ( 21 - of - 36 ) . Portland 's offense was n't far behind , as they went 47 - of - 90 from the field to shoot 52 percent/ . Cleveland 's 81 - point first half fell just shy of a franchise - records for both teams . Portland ( 8 - 9 ) have really struggled on defense this season and this loss may have been the most embarrassing one thus far . Damian Lillard did all he could on offense though , as he tallied 40 points , seven rebounds and 11 assists on 13 - of - 21 shooting in the defeat . C.J . McCollum struggled , going just 5 - of - 12 from the field en route to 13 points , one rebound and two assists . Mason Plumlee went 9 - of - 10 from the field to score 19 points , but grabbed just four rebounds in 23 minutes of action . Evan Turner was the only bench player to score more than seven points , as he dropped 17 points on 7 - of - 13 shooting . Portland will look to get out of this slump on Friday against the surging New Orleans Pelicans for their next game . Cleveland ( 11 - 2 ) have not let up one bit after their championship campaign from last year and offensive showcases like this show why they 're so good . Kevin Love was the star , as he scored an NBA-record 34 points in the first quarter and finished the game with 40 points . LeBron James may have been the player of the game though , as he accumulated 31 points , 10 rebounds , 13 assists and three steals in the win . Kyrie Irving finished with 20 points and six assists of his own . Channing Frye went 4 - for - 6 from three - point range en route to a bench - leading 14 points . The Cavaliers will return to action on Friday in a home matchup against the struggling Dallas Mavericks .

All the talk around this game will be about Kevin Love and rightfully so . While he finished with just 40 points , he set an NBA-record by dropping 34 points in the first quarter . He went 8 - of - 11 from three - point range in that first quarter and finished the game 12 - of - 20 from the field , struggling the final three quarters . LeBron James would n't be outdone though , as he accumulated 31 points , 10 rebounds and 13 assists en route to a triple - double . Cleveland has made at least 10 three - pointers in every game this season and that 's what carried them here . In fact , they went 21 - of - 36 from three - point range and shot 53 percent from the field . Damian Lillard did his best to keep Portland hanging around , as he tallied 40 points , seven rebounds and 11 assists in the defeat . Portland have now allowed at least 113 points in six - straight games and are allowing over 120 points a game in that span . This was a rare wire - to - wire win for the Cavs .


The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the visiting Dallas Mavericks , 128 - 90 , at Quicken Loans Arena on Friday . Almost from the opening tip , the game looked like the mismatch it had been expected to be . The Mavs ( 2 - 13 ) held an early 20 lead before Cleveland ( 12 - 2 ) systematically began to exert their dominance . They held a 36 - 16 advantage by the end of the first quarter , and a whopping 72 - 38 lead by halftime . Four of the five members of the first unit posted double - digit scoring , and the team posted an excellent 51 percent success rate from the field overall , and an equally impressive 47 percent tally from beyond the arc . Dallas saw Dirk Nowitzki lead the way in only his second game back from an eight - game absence due to an Achilles injury , as he registered 15 points , six rebounds and three assists . Harrison Barnes was the only other member of the first unit with double digits in the scoring column , as he collected 12 points and added five boards . Wesley Matthews , Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut could only combine for 12 points overall on 5 - of - 17 shooting . Seth Curry received 26 minutes off the bench in the blowout and supplied 13 points , four rebounds and three assists . Kevin Love continued his stretch of excellent play , leading the way for the Cavs with a 27 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included four assists and three steals . Kyrie Irving was next with a stat line that was almost entirely comprised of scoring , as he managed 25 points but only a rebound , an assist and a block . LeBron James compiled a 19 - point , 11 - assist double - double that also included five rebounds and a steal . Tristan Thompson posted his own double - double with 11 points , 12 rebounds , an assist and a steal . J.R. Smith was notably the only Cleveland player to struggle , totaling only three points on a 1 - of - 11 shooting effort . The Mavs return home to face off with the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday , while the Cavs visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday afternoon .

Four of the five members of the Cavs ' first unit posted double - digit scoring , led by a combined 71 points from the Big Three of Kevin Love , LeBron James and Kyrie Irving . Love , James and Tristan Thompson all posted double - doubles as well . J.R. Smith was notably the only member of the first unit to struggle , posting just three points on 1 - of - 11 shooting . The Cavs managed an excellent 51 percent success rate from the field overall and equally impressive 47 percent tally from beyond the arc . Dirk Nowitzki paced the Mavs with 15 points . Harrison Barnes was the only other double - digit scorer among the starters , collecting 12 points . Wesley Matthews , Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut combined for just 12 points overall themselves . Seth Curry supplied 13 points over 26 minutes , seeing extra minutes due to the blowout .


The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 113 - 94 Thursday at Quicken Loans Arena . The Clippers ( 15 - 5 ) , who were coming off their worst loss of the season in overtime against the Brooklyn Nets , bounced back in superb fashion with a blowout victory over the Cavaliers ( 13 - 4 ) , who have now lost two in a row . Los Angeles got out to a slow start , but were able to pull away from Cleveland with the help of big second and third quarters where they outscore the home team by 24 points . J.J. Redick led the way with a superb shooting night , scoring a team - high 23 points on 9 - of - 13 shooting from the field and 4 - of - 6 from behind the arc . As a team , the game was won for the Clippers with their outside shooting , as they shot 42 percent from long range overall . Blake Griffin struggled from the field after resting against the Nets , shooting just 4 - of - 14 , but he still managed to record a double - double of 13 points and 11 assists . For the Cavaliers , this is the second dud they 've put up in as many games , shooting just 40 percent from the field and recording 18 total turnovers to just 12 assists . Kyrie Irving had a solid evening , scoring a game - high 28 points on 8 - of - 19 shooting from the field , but both LeBron James and Kevin Love failed to produce much offensively , combining for 32 total points on 12 - of - 25 shooting . The only other Cleveland player to score in double figures was Richard Jefferson , who scored 12 points in 22 minutes off the bench . Up next , the Clippers will head to New Orleans on Friday to take on the Pelicans , while the Cavaliers travel to Chicago on Friday to play the Bulls .

For a big man , Blake Griffin 's 4 assists per game is rather impressive , especially when you consider his point guard is one of the best passers to ever play in the NBA . But Griffin has consistently shown signs of having great court awareness with his assist numbers . That awareness was on full display Thursday night as Griffin posted a season - high 11 assists in the blowout victory , and there is a correlation between Griffin 's high assists numbers and Los Angeles ' success this season . In the 10 games where Griffin has posted at least five assists , the Clippers are 10 - 1 , and he recorded under five assists in three of their four losses . It 's clear that when Griffin is looking to move the ball , Los Angeles is finding success , and having capable distributors in both the frontcourt and backcourt will only help this Clippers squad continue to find success .


After building a 57 - 46 halftime lead , the Cavs outscored their visitors by a 57 - 38 margin in the second half . The Big Three of Kevin Love , LeBron James and Kyrie Irving impressively combined to go 32 - of - 55 from the field and were led by Love , whose back injury rendered him a game - time decision . He posted a 28 - point , 15 - rebound double - double , while James went for 27 against his former squad . Irving also supplied 23 points . Collectively , the Cavs had the hot hand , shooting 55 percent overall . Goran Dragic 's 15 points led the Heat 's starting five , while Wayne Ellington supplied 10 points . Hassan Whiteside could only pour in eight points , but hauled in 12 rebounds . The second unit was highly productive , as Derrick Williams ( 17 points ) Tyler Johnson ( 12 points ) , and Willie Reed ( 10 points , 11 rebounds ) made impressive contributions .

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Miami Heat , 114 - 84 , at Quicken Loans Arena on Friday . With a roster still missing James Johnson , Justise Winslow , Dion Waiters and Josh Richardson , the Heat ( 7 - 16 ) came in to Friday 's matchup against NBA champs already behind the eight - ball . Miami fought valiantly in the first half , however , and the Cavs ( 16 - 5 ) only held a relatively modest 57 - 46 lead at halftime . However , they pulled away in the second half , outscoring the visitors by a 57 - 38 margin over the third and fourth quarters . Kevin Love , who had been a game - time decision with a back injury , led the way with a 28 - point , 15 - rebound double - double that also included three assists , a steal and a block . The Cavs had the hot hand as a team , posting a stellar 55 percent success rate from the field . The Heat 's first unit was led by Goran Dragic , who collected 15 points , four assists , three rebounds and a block . Wayne Ellington supplied 10 points , two assists and a rebound . Hassan Whiteside could only pour in eight points , but he did haul in 12 rebounds . Rodney McGruder and Josh McRoberts were only able to muster a pair of six - point efforts , with the former filling out the stat sheet with eight rebounds , five assists and two steals , and the latter registering four boards and four assists . The second unit was highly productive for Miami , with Derrick Williams pacing them with a team - high 17 points . Tyler Johnson pitched in with 12 points , five rebounds , two assists and two steals in 38 minutes off the bench , while Willie Reed totaled 10 points and 11 boards in a reserve role as well . LeBron James checked in second behind Love against his former squad , posting 27 points , eight rebounds , eight assists and three steals . Kyrie Irving came through with 23 points , three assists and a rebound . Iman Shumpert led the second unit with 10 points , four rebounds , an assist and a steal . Overall , the Big Three of Love , James and Irving impressively combined to go 32 - of - 55 from the field on the night . The Heat next head to Chicago for a Saturday night date with the Bulls , while the Cavs await the Charlotte Hornets for a Saturday night showdown of their own .


LeBron James led the way for the Cavs as he went off for a season - high 44 points . James shot 17 - of - 24 from the field and 5 - of - 10 from long range on the way to the 73rd 40 - point game of his career . He also added 10 assists , nine rebounds , three steals and one block , in 42 minutes of action . Kevin Love added 22 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting , along with six rebounds and three steals . Tristan Thompson notched a solid double - double with 13 points and 12 rebounds , in 28 minutes . Thompson went 5 - of - 5 from the field , while the Cavs as a team shot 58 percent from the field . Kemba Walker led the way for the Hornets , with 24 points before exiting the game early with a left knee contusion . Cody Zeller added 17 points on 7 - of - 8 shooting , along with nine rebounds , two assists and two steals , in 23 minutes .

The Cleveland Cavaliers came out strong on the second night of a back - to - back to defeat the Charlotte Hornets , 116 - 105 , at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday evening . LeBron James absolutely dominated the game as he broke - out for 44 points , along with 10 rebounds and nine assists , in 42 minutes . It marks the 73rd time in his career that James has scored more than 40 points . Meanwhile , the Cavs earned their fourth straight win , and snapped the Hornet 's three - game win streak . The Cavs ( 17 - 5 ) got out to a strong start and led 67 - 52 at halftime . They tallied 19 assists in the first half alone , and finished the game with 25 . Cleveland shot a blazing 58 percent from the field and 42 percent from long range , while LeBron James , Iman Shumpert and Kyrie Irving combined to go 11 - of - 19 from downtown . The Cavs are 11 - 2 at home and will look to add to their win streak as they play host to the Grizzlies on Tuesday . Hornets ( 14 - 10 ) will hope for the best as Kemba Walker left the game with about three minutes left in the fourth after suffering a left knee contusion . Walker was the high - point man for Charlotte with 24 points , in 30 minutes . Cody Zeller followed up with 17 points and nine rebounds . The Hornets did well to force 18 turnovers from the Cavs but still gave up 14 of their own . They will look to get back on track as they face the second game of a five - game road trip , on Monday in Indiana .


Kevin Love 's 29 - point , 13 - rebound double - double led the way for the Cavs , who 'd rested Kyrie Irving on Tuesday . J.R. Smith posted a season - high 23 points on 8 - of - 17 shooting , including a stellar 6 - of - 10 tally from beyond the arc , and LeBron James matched his point total while adding eight assists , six rebounds and three steals . Cleveland 's 46 percent shooting from the field helped them overcome 17 turnovers . Zach Randolph , starting at center for the resting Marc Gasol , posted 18 points , five rebounds , two assists , two steals and a block . Troy Williams and Andrew Harrison turned in a pair of 13 - point efforts , while Tony Allen contributed eight points and JaMychal Green only poured in two points but brought down eight boards . Memphis had a particularly difficult time from long range , tallying an unsightly 18 percent success rate from behind the arc .

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies , 103 - 86 , at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday . The two teams square off again Wednesday night in Memphis in the second game of a home - and - home series , so the Grizzlies ( 17 - 9 ) opted to rest Marc Gasol on Tuesday . That left them even more short - handed than usual , given that star point guard Mike Conley is also out for the foreseeable future . That played right into the Cavs ' hands , as they were able to put together a relatively comfortable home win despite sitting Kyrie Irving for rest purposes themselves . LeBron James and Kevin Love turned in their typical quality of performance , but the story was J.R. Smith , who 'd essentially been mired in a month - long slump . The veteran guard posted a season - high 23 points on 8 - of - 17 shooting , including a stellar 6 - of - 10 tally from beyond the arc . Cleveland ( 18 - 5 ) shot 46 percent from the field overall , which helped them overcome 17 turnovers . The Grizzlies were led by Zach Randolph , who started at center for Gasol . He posted 18 points , five rebounds , two assists , two steals and a block . Troy Williams and Andrew Harrison turned in a pair of 13 - point efforts , with the former adding six rebounds and an assist , and the latter posting four assists , three rebounds , three blocks and a steal . Tony Allen contributed eight points , a rebound , an assist and three steals , while JaMychal Green only poured in two points but brought down eight boards . Jarell Martin supplied eight points , 10 rebounds and an assist . Love led the way for Cleveland with 29 points , 13 rebounds , three assists and two steals . James registered 23 points , eight assists , six rebounds and three steals . DeAndre Liggins compiled three points , five rebounds , four assists , two steals and a block while drawing the start for Irving , while Channing Frye led the second unit with eight points , a rebound and an assist . The Grizzlies and Cavs meet again on Wednesday evening at FedEx Forum in Memphis .