Anderson Varejao went off for a career-high 26 points in Friday's win. David Liam Kyle NBAE/Getty Images

The short-handed Bulls led the Cavaliers led by a bucket with less than a minute elapsed in the game, and that was as good as it would get for Chicago, as Cleveland thumped their Central Division rivals for the third time this season – 117-92 – on Friday night at The Q.

The Bulls were without Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Drew Gooden – and their absence was noticeable. The Cavaliers were without their starting center – two-time All-Star, Zydrunas Ilgauskas – but it was as if the Wine and Gold didn’t miss a beat.

In Ilgauskas’ absence, his good friend and frontcourt mate, Anderson Varejao, stepped right in and all he did was score a career-high 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting, adding eight boards – four offensive – and three steals. Varejao netted nine of his game-high 26 in the fourth quarter and made 13 trips to the stripe.

“I’m just trying to be active and trying to find the open spots,” said the big Brazilian. “I know LeBron draws a lot of attention and they are all going to try to double him. I have just got to be ready to get the ball and go to the basket because I know he is going to find me.”

Varejao wasn’t alone in the scoring column, as seven Cavaliers tallied double-figures. One of those players was LeBron James – who only took eight shots from the floor, but did manage his first triple-double of the season with 16 points, 11 assists and 10 boards. LeBron led both clubs with three blocked shots and added a pair of steals. James was 3-for-8 from the floor and a perfect 8-of-8 from the line.

Chicago was never in it on Friday night. The Cavaliers led by 15 after one quarter and never let up from that point forward. Every player who dressed saw action, with J.J. Hickson and Sasha Pavlovic leading the charge off Mike Brown’s bench – netting 13 points apiece.

The Cavaliers are now 17-0 at home and 27-5 overall, but the sledding gets tough this month with Zydrunas Ilguaskas on the shelf for the next few games. Cleveland travels to the nation’s capital for a Sunday afternoon matinee against the Wizards.

2. The Cavaliers haven’t had to face much adversity this season, but the Wine and Gold were dealt a blow on Friday when Big Z underwent a follow-up examination of his left ankle at the Cleveland Clinic. Since recovery from the injury had plateaued, another MRI and further X-rays were performed. The original MRI taken immediately following the injury was consistent with a lateral ankle sprain, and the results of the MRI revealed a small chip fracture in the posteromedial talus of his left ankle, as well as the recovering sprain.

Ilgauskas will now undergo continued treatment, including a period of left ankle immobilization to enhance healing over the next two weeks. The Cavaliers big man was in a suit and walking boot on Cleveland’s bench on Friday night.

“I came back and played on it and it felt OK,” said Ilgauskas. “But it really hasn’t gotten better with the soreness and pain. I tried missing practices and just playing, but that hasn’t helped.”

3. With Big Z on the shelf for the next couple weeks, the frontcourt onus fell on Ben Wallace and Anderson Varejao – both of whom responded in stellar fashion during Friday night’s win. Big Ben finished with a season-high 11 points – netting eight of those in the first quarter – while Anderson exploded for a career-high 26 points and eight rebounds in his fourth start of the season.

4. Former Cavalier, Drew Gooden was not with the team on Friday night, missing his seventh game with a sprained ankle. Another former Cavalier, Larry Hughes, was given a chilly reception when he entered the game and went 1-for-9 from the floor in 28 disinterested minutes once he got there. The last remaining Cav from last February’s deal, Cedric Simmons, fared much better – tallying a season-high in points (9) and rebounds (4).

5. On Friday morning, Mike Brown was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month. Brown – who has led the Cavaliers to their best start in franchise history – was his usually modest self regarding the Award, the second of his career.

“(Awards) are nice to have, but I’m just fortunate to be with a terrific bunch of buys – a great coaching staff and a great team. So, although it may have my name on it – it’s a team thing for me.”

6. In a scheduling anomaly last season, the Cavaliers faced the Bulls all four times after March 1 – all after the big 11-player trade. (The Cavaliers lost the final three matchups.) This year, the scheduling and results have been the exact opposite. Friday night’s game was the third time Cleveland’s faced the Bulls in 65 days and they have one more meeting set for January 15 in the Windy City.

7. Sasha Pavlovic scored a season-high 13 points, adding a season-high-tying five boards in 22 active minutes off Mike Brown’s bench.

8. The Cavaliers held Chicago to 36 percent shooting (30-of-82) and have now held 10 opponents under the 40-percent plateau this season – all victories.

9. J.J. Hickson came within a point of tying his career-high. The uber-athletic rookie took one in the chops early in the game and received a stitch to his upper lip. He returned to finish with 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting – tying his career-high in boards with six.

10. On Friday night, LeBron James netted his first triple-double of the season and 18th of his already-brilliant career. Of course, the young King did so in dramatic fashion, snagging his 10th board of the game in between a pair of long three-point bombs that sent the sold-out Quicken Loans Arena crowd into a frenzy.

“I just read the defense,” said James. “I don’t force anything, I never force the action. I had gone off the first two times against Chicago so I figured they would try to get the ball out of my hands. But we have playmakers around me that allow me to make plays.”