Sliding Cavaliers run over by Bulls in another loss

CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers' season is unraveling before our eyes. For a team that had aspirations of advancing to the NBA Finals, Cleveland continues to falter. The Chicago Bulls handed the Cavs their second loss in the last three days, this one 136-125 Friday at Rocket Arena. Cleveland (15-14) has now lost three in a row and 8-of-11. The latest calamity is defense. "We couldn't get stops," coach Kenny Atkinson said. "One-hundred twenty-five points should be enough to win. We've never slowed down this team in the three games we've played against them. "We're losing too many of the sprint battles. That's the Bulls' identity. Their style of play has hurt us. That's becoming the style of the East." Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago, Indiana and a few others have reverted to a fast-breaking style of play. Cleveland is unable to keep pace in its current state, as it was outscored 20-7 in fast-break points Friday. The Cavs played without their leading scorer, guard Donovan Mitchell, and reserve guard Craig Porter Jr., who are both ill. Evan Mobley, Max Strus and Sam Merrill are sidelined by injuries. It's added to a dumpster fire for Cleveland, which continues to lose to below-.500 teams. The Cavs may be there with them soon. The posiive news is point guard Darius Garland is slowly rounding into form for Cleveland. He finished with a season-high 35 points and eight assists. "I'm getting healthy," he said. "I'm trying to find my groove. (My toe) felt good and you saw the results." Garland connected on 13-of-27 from the field and 6-of-12 from the 3-point line. Rookie guard Tyrese Proctor, making his first NBA start, added 16 points and six rebounds, while forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin added 15 points off the bench. "(Proctor) was really good," Garland said. "He shot the ball well. Same with Qwan. We want those two guys to be confident when they come into games." Center Jarrett Allen, held scoreless in the first half, finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. Chicago big men Nikola Vucevic and Matas Buzelis each had 24 points and combined to shoot 20-of-35 from the field. The 7-foot Vucevic pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds. Proctor, a second-round pick in 2025 from Duke, called it a "blessing" to earn his first start in the NBA. "I had some family here, so it was really cool," he said. "I just wanted to be myself and play free. I wanted to play my brand of basketball. I'm still learning on the fly. I try to take every opportunity to get on the court." Forward De'Andre Hunter and center Thomas Bryant each added 11 points off the bench for Cleveland. The Bulls (12-15) had seven players in double figures in scoring. Guard Josh Giddey finished with 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Chicago opened an 81-69 lead in the third quarter before the Cavs embarked on a 17-4 run. The Bulls held still held a 101-99 advantage after three quarters despite allowing 44 points in the period. At the end of the first quarter, official Tre Maddox was knocked out of the game when he rolled his ankle. That left two refs to officiate the game, Ray Accosta and Phenizee Ransom. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.