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Bulls Pull Past Shorthanded Cavs at The Q

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Wrap-Up -- With 60 percent of their starting lineup on the shelf, the Wine and Gold fell again to the one team that’s been a thorn in their side for years – dropping a 117-99 decision to the Bulls on Saturday night at The Q.

J.R. Smith is gradually working his way back to health after fracturing his thumb in late December and Kevin Love is still several weeks away after undergoing arthroscopic surgery right before the All-Star Break. And after missing morning shootaround with strep throat, LeBron James didn’t suit up for Saturday’s matchup with Chicago.

The shorthanded Cavaliers still managed to take a six-point lead early in the third quarter before going cold from the floor as the Bulls pulled ahead and staved off any Cleveland comeback attempt down the stretch.

After stymying the Knicks on Thursday night, dropping them for the 10th straight occasion, the Wine and Gold had the tables turned on them by a team they just can’t seem to solve – falling for the sixth time in their last seven meetings against Chicago, including all three meetings so far this season.

Kyrie Irving led both teams with 34 points in the loss – going 13-for-25 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the stripe, adding nine boards, a team-best seven assists and a blocked shot.

The Cavaliers got 14 points apiece from a pair reserves – Kyle Korver and James Jones, who combined to go 8-for-12 from long-range.

Jones went 5-of-6 from the floor and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc while Korver finished 5-of-8 overall and 4-of-7 from deep before giving fans at The Q a scare when he came down awkwardly under the Bulls’ basket stanchion late in the fourth and limped off the floor and into the locker room.

Korver eventually returned to rejoin his teammates on the bench, but didn’t see action for the rest of the night.

Kyle Korver

Kyrie stuffs the stat sheet but it isn't enough as the Cavs fall to the Bulls.

The only other Cavalier in double-figures was Channing Frye – who finished with 11 points, five boards and a pair of assists.

The Bulls featured seven players in double-figures -- led by Dwyane Wade, who barely missed a triple-double with 20 points, 10 assists and nine boards. Jimmy Butler did not barely miss a triple-double – completing the trifecta with 18 points, 10 assists and 10 boards.

The Bulls came into the contest as the league’s worst three-point shooting squad. But they beat Cleveland at its own game on Saturday night – going 15-for-30 from beyond the arc while handing out 34 assists and committing just seven turnovers.

Turning Point -- The Cavaliers led by a point at intermission, holding Chicago’s All-Star forward to just three points on 1-for-6 shooting. But that would change early in the third quarter.

Coming out of the locker room strong, Kyrie Irving scored seven of Cleveland’s first nine points of the second half as the Wine and Gold took a six-point edge – 65-59 – less than three minutes into the third.

But Butler answered Irving’s opening salvo, canning his next three three-pointers – propelling a 23-6 Bulls’ run that put the Cavaliers in a double-digit hole to end the quarter.

In the fourth, the Cavaliers managed to cut the Bulls’ lead to 10 twice in the final four minutes before running out of gas in the closing moments.

By the Numbers.592 … James Jones’ three-point shooting percentage (29-for-49) in 37 games so far this season.

QuotableKyrie Irving, on his mindset with LeBron out of the lineup …

”My mindset doesn’t change too much. I understand that there a few extra shots I can take, but also I have to create a lot more plays for my teammates. I tried to do that tonight at the start of the game and throughout the game. Understanding that I’m going to need other guys to be in a position to play at an even higher level, especially when we have a guy like Bron not playing.”

Up Next -- The Cavaliers wrap up the month of February – and their four-game homestand – on Monday night, welcoming the Bucks to town for their final matchup of the season against Milwaukee. On Wednesday night, they begin a quick road trip – playing three games in four nights beginning with a big road battle in Boston followed by a weekend back-to-back, taking on the Hawks in Atlanta on Friday before wrapping up against the Heat the following night on South Beach.

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