Cavaliers vs. Bulls Final Score: Cleveland Picks Up First Win, 114-108

By Josh Hill | Oct 31, 2014

114. 156. Final. 108. 24

Cleveland Cavaliers fans were let down in the season opener against the New York Knicks but the second game of the season in Chicago was much more satisfying.

LeBron James returned on Thursday night in what ended up being more of a spectacle than a basketball game, but those hoping to see some actual basketball were pleased with what they saw in Chicago on Friday night. The Cavaliers and Bulls have met just once this season now, but already it’s abundantly clear they do not like each other.

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It was a tightly contested battle the whole way through, with the Cavaliers looking much better than they did last night but also not looking like they have a complete puzzle in Cleveland.

One of the early mishaps on the night was when Kevin Love got rejected not once, but twice in a row but the twin towers of Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol.

That was a point in the game where it looked like the Bulls might be able to dominate the Cavaliers defensively, but things changed very quickly. The Cavaliers owned the rebounding game in first half, taking a nice lead into halftime.

But the wheel started to come off in the second half, more specifically in the fourth quarter down the stretch. With the game tied at 90-90, the Cavaliers started to give the Bulls too many open looks at the perimeter in combination with mistakes that allowed transitional baskets to pile up.

For example, there was a span of about fifteen seconds in the fourth quarter, with under two minutes left in the game where the Cavs gave up six points to Kirk Hinrich. That cannot happen, as the Cavaliers put the wrong guy on Hinrich and paid the price.

Somehow, the Cavaliers bailed themselves out to force over time with the game tied 98-98. In the extra five minutes, LeBron James came alive, scoring the first four points of the period and getting Cleveland a 101-98 lead.

IN the end, the Cavaliers were able to pull out their first win of the game, and it was a huge one. While there was a lot that needed work, one thing that was a bright spot was the play of Tristan Thompson. He pulled down 12 boards on the night, picking up a handful of huge rebounds late in the game an din overtime.

There was a point in time during the game that Kyrie Irving was heard asking Mike Miller if this is what a playoff game feels like. The atmosphere in the United Center no doubt had that playoff feel, but if this is how the Cavaliers will play in the postseason then there is a lot of work that needs to happen.

Of course, this is Game 2 of a season that will last well beyond the standard 82 regular season games for the Cavaliers. But that’s an excuse that will only last so long, as 1-1 still isn’t a good start for the Cavaliers, as the gelling process this roster is going through is subjecting them to serious scrutiny and easy scrutiny that shouldn’t be there for the haters.

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