Going around, the Bulls, the most anticipated dark horse team in the East this season, were ultimately disappointing after the All-Star Game. Not only did they fail to continue to play the style of the dark horse team, but they also became a stepping stone for the progress of other teams in the league and were bullied. However, with the good results achieved in the early part of the season, the Bulls' record and ranking are still very good. So far, they have maintained a record of 42 wins and 31 losses, ranking fifth in the East, and still qualify for early playoff tickets.
However, reality doesn't always go smoothly. Their opponent in this game is the Cavaliers from Cleveland. Also on the rise of the three-year dormancy, the Cavaliers are now 41-32 this season, ranking sixth in the East. That is to say, if in this competition, the Cavaliers become the winning side, they will overtake the Chicago Bulls and come to the fifth place in the East. So, will the Bulls easily compromise and let the Cavaliers succeed in overtaking?
In fact, the Bulls were still very determined in the first half of the competition, and did not give the Cavaliers any chance to counterattack. In the first quarter, Vucevic quickly entered the form, shooting 4 of 6 in a single quarter, sending 10 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal, helping the team to play 28-16 and get a 12-point lead. Entering the second quarter showdown, the Bulls were able to stabilize the situation, with Lavin's key 8 points, and played a 25-19 score to get a 6-point lead. At the end of the first half, the Bulls led the Cavaliers by a crucial 18-pointer at 53-35.
There is no doubt that the Cavaliers were beaten to the point where they had no ability to fight back. But Yi Bian fought again, and they still made an effective counterattack. In the third quarter of the competition, the bulls side of the small big three successively dud, playing the blossoming Cavaliers to take advantage of the 28-22 score, chasing back the first half of the 6 points behind. By the time of the crucial final-quarter showdown, the gap between the two sides had narrowed to 12 points, and the Bulls had the initiative to take the lead and had a better chance of winning the game.
In the final quarter of the decider, the Cavaliers did not choose to give up, Garland continued to play for 12 minutes of play, with an efficient shooting rate of 7 shots and 5, sent 14 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, And LeVert also had 9 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, helping the team play a 31-23 score, recovering the previous 8 points. Unfortunately, after the full game time, the Bulls still won the game with a score of 98-94. To its credit, after losing the game, the Cavaliers' record reached 41-33, surpassed by the Toronto Raptors, who followed them and fell out of the top six in the West.
It is undeniable that although the Cavaliers lost the game, they have many remarkable highlights, there is a great possibility of winning the future, as we have seen, the Cavaliers' new generation of leader Garland, in the absence of overtime, 44 minutes of battle, sent the game's highest points of 28 points, as well as 6 rebounds and 5 assists, has laid the image of his savior. The Cavaliers didn't miss the chance to make the playoffs, and even if they played in the playoffs, they had a lot to win.