February 13, 2025
5 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ loss to Cleveland — Coby White’s turnovers and a misplaced battle on the offensive boards

Forward of Monday’s matchup in Cleveland, the Cavaliers had a easy defensive goal in opposition to the Chicago Bulls: Attempt to include Coby White.

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff acknowledged White has risen to attract comparable defensive consideration as stars Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, who solely narrowly lead in scoring and help margins.

When it got here to a sport plan, Bickerstaff laid it out merely.

“Hold him in entrance of you as a lot as you presumably can,” Bickerstaff mentioned. “Hold him out of the painted space. Don’t permit his velocity to get behind you. Clearly he’s a succesful shot maker however when he turns into actually disruptive is when he will get to the paint and now all people’s an choice for him as a result of he’s an unselfish participant. He’s keen to share the ball and share the sport.”

It is a studying expertise for White, who’s commanding newfound respect all through the league halfway via a breakout season because the Bulls’ start line guard. Defenses are not shocked by his shot choice or ball motion. He will get the most effective — or second-best — defender on the courtroom. And on a rocky night time like Monday, White is tasked with lifting and main the Bulls offense.

White struggled in Cleveland, coughing the ball up for seven turnovers regardless of main the offense in factors (18). However coach Billy Donovan isn’t involved in regards to the blip within the guard’s season.

“I feel he was clearly making an attempt to take it upon himself to step up,” Donovan mentioned. “He’s bought that type of will and competitiveness. It is a actually good studying expertise for Coby as a result of he’s been so elite and so nice and that is a kind of video games the place he was simply making an attempt to grind, he was competing like loopy … however a few of these performs didn’t work out. It’s one thing he can study from.”

White’s struggles to guard the ball prolonged to your entire workforce. The Bulls gave up 18 factors on 18 turnovers within the 109-91 loss, their third-highest tally of the season. With the loss, the Bulls have now slipped again to 4 video games under .500.

Listed below are 4 different takeaways from the sport.

A sluggish begin dug the Bulls right into a gap inside the opening six minutes of play. The Cavaliers scored 40 factors within the first quarter, going 8-for-14 from behind the arc. The Bulls opened the sport struggling to shoot the ball, going solely 4-for-18 from 3-point vary in your entire first half. Nevertheless it was their protection that did not sluggish the Cavaliers, significantly Donovan Mitchell, who tallied 17 factors within the first half and 34 on the night time.

The Cavaliers had been contemporary off a world flight following their sport in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets in Paris, giving the Bulls few excuses for being the extra sluggish workforce out of the opening whistle.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus shoots over Chicago Bulls center Andre Drummond in the second half on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Cleveland.

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All through the primary half, the Cavaliers constructed their lead on one key a part of their sport: second-chance factors.

The Cavaliers scored 19 second-chance factors off eight offensive rebounds within the first half whereas the Bulls scored solely 4 second-chance factors of their very own. Jarrett Allen snagged 4 offensive boards — greater than your entire Bulls roster — on his personal within the half. These factors made up almost a 3rd (31.7%) of the Cavaliers’ whole offense within the first half.

Donovan had emphasised offensive rebounds as a key focus getting into the sport after the Cavaliers dominated the boards of their final assembly. However that preparation didn’t enhance the outcomes for the Bulls, who gave up 13 offensive rebounds within the loss.

Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević looks to shoot as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Georges Niang defends on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Cleveland.

Facilities Andre Drummond and Nikola Vučević not often play on the courtroom on the identical time. However with the Bulls folding beneath the strain of the Cavaliers on the offensive boards, Donovan switched up his typical rotations to run with a two-big lineup for the ultimate 6:09 of the third quarter.

The Bulls went on a 21-3 run with the massive pair on the courtroom collectively, registering a +18 internet score in that span to chop the lead down to 3 factors getting into the ultimate body. Drummond and Vučević had been in a position to neutralize the specter of second-chance factors off the boards, limiting the Cavaliers to a single offensive rebound within the last six minutes of the quarter.

Regardless of their third-quarter surge, the Bulls deflated the second they switched again into their lineup, scoring solely 14 factors within the fourth quarter.

They took a short one-point lead initially of the fourth quarter, however that was adopted by a Cavaliers 11-0 run fueled by miscues. The Bulls coughed up eight turnovers within the fourth quarter, together with three by White. The Cavaliers scored 13 factors off these errors to reclaim the lead and sail to the whistle.