FINAL FROM THE UNITED CENTER:
Bulls 99 Cavaliers 98. Bulls: 4-9, 2-5 at home.
LEADING SCORERS: Bulls: LaVine: 24 points. Cavaliers: Thompson: 22 points.
LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bulls: LaVine: 8. Cavaliers: Nance: 14.
LEADING ASSISTS: Bulls: LaVine: 5. Cavaliers: Clarkson: 4.
CCI RECAP: The Bulls with point guard Ryan Arcidiacono making his first NBA start jumped on the Cavs in the opening quarter scoring 37 points with Zach LaVine showcasing his extraordinary athleticism ranging from a 360 slam dunk to an acrobatic reverse that mirrored the days of the great Michael Jordan.
The Cavs refused to quit led by rookie Collin Sexton who has multiple gears off the dribble. Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance Jr. crashed the glass but in the end it was Jabari Parker who saved the day with a swat on Sexton near the rim as time expired.
CCI GAME BALLS: LaVine, Carter Jr (3 blocks), Arcidiacono and Parker. LaVine opens the season with 13 straight games of scoring 20+ points. Cavaliers: Sexton and Thompson.
CCI STAT OF THE NIGHT: 52 points in the paint scored by the Bulls and they needed every one. The Bulls were fortunate to escape with a win as the Cavs out rebounded the Bulls 53-38.
UP NEXT: Home with Dallas Monday.
CCI 24 SECONDS - NBA NEWS and NOTES:
It will become official Monday as Jimmy Butler is back in the Eastern Conference with the Philadelphia 76ers. Butler joins a team featuring Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Will the dynamics work? Your thoughts. Minnesota did the best they could do and they received some nice pieces in Dario Saric and Robert Covington. Was it enough for a four time All Star? The bottom line is Minnesota was dealing from a position of weakness not strength after Butler demanded a trade. What it does tell me is that Philly is all in and realized they probably weren’t good enough to beat Boston, Toronto or even Milwaukee in a seven game playoff series.
Memphis 112 Philadelphia 106 OT. The 76ers were short handed and Mike Conley made them pay. Conley scored 32 points, including 21 after halftime.
Toronto 123 NY 112. Pascal Siakam with a career-high 23 points. The Raps with a league best 12-1. The Raps received 62 points from their bench.
LAC 128 Milwaukee 126 OT. Lou Williams driving layup with .3 seconds left in OT provided the Clippers with the W. Giannis was sensation in a losing cause with 27 points and 18 rebounds.
New Orleans 118 Phoenix 99. Anthony Davis with a 26-12 game. The Suns dropped to 2-10.
Washington 116 Miami 110. The Wizards desperately need a win and they picked one up on the road. Jeff Green, one of the few Seattle SuperSonics still on the face of the Earth, had a 19-10 game for the Wiz..Dwyane Wade missed his third straight game after the birth of his daughter. I’m cool with that.
San Antonio 96 Houston 89. DeMar DeRozan had a season low 13 points. Melo missed the game due to illness.
Golden State 116 Brooklyn 100. Quinn Cook filling in for Steph Curry scored a season-high 27. KD: 28-11 assists. Green also sat out as did Livingston.
Dallas 111 OKC 96. The Mavs won for only the second time in nine games. J.J. Barea can play for me anytime.
Los Angeles Lakers 101 Sacramento 86. LeBron with 25 points. Newcomer Tyson Chandler added 12 rebounds.
Thanks for reading CCI. Today (and every day.) My heart. My soul. Every fiber in my body wants to acknowledge all the Veterans and their families today on Veterans Day. As the son of decorated United States Naval officer I learned so many life lessons from him, ranging from discipline to character to respect. My father loved the United States. A United States that secured freedom and liberties for all and sacrificed many who put their lives on the line 24-7 to let freedom ring. Thank you to those currently serving around the world and thank you to Veterans around the world who served. You and your families and extended families have my total respect and gratitude. You have my prayers. You are not alone. God Bless America.
Thanks for reading CCI. Reach out at cswirsky@bulls.com or Twitter: @ctsbulls