Cleveland Cavaliers (43-27) beat Chicago Bulls (28-42) 115-110 on the road on Thursday, March 19.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Cavaliers had the better start, winning the first 32-22 to lead by 10 after one. The Cavaliers kept the pressure on with a 29-23 second quarter, carrying a 16-point lead into halftime.
The Cavaliers won the third 32-28 to create some separation, taking a 20-point lead into the fourth. The Bulls took the fourth 37-22; the Cavaliers held on for a 115-110 regulation win.
What decided it
The Cavaliers made 23.1 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 11.7 for the Bulls. The Cavaliers grabbed 31.4% of their own misses, while the Bulls recovered 24%. In a 5-point game, the points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
At roughly 104 possessions per team, the Cavaliers produced 110.5 points per 100 possessions to 105.7 for the Bulls.
Who made the difference
James Harden was the game's biggest individual force for CLE: 36 pts, 7 reb, 9 ast on 10-23 shooting. His Game Score of 27.6 led everyone. His team was +9 with him on the floor.
Tre Jones led the Bulls with 20 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl on 6-12 shooting, good for a 16.7 Game Score.
Guerschon Yabusele (10 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast), Jaylon Tyson (18 pts, 11 reb, 3 ast), and Evan Mobley (26 pts, 14 reb, 3 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Cavaliers about a 70% chance.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Cleveland Cavaliers lead 5-2.
The Cavaliers are now 43-27, and the Bulls are 28-42. The Cavaliers last five before this game: W-L-W-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.