Game Recap: Bulls top Cavaliers

Ken Blaze - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 23 hours ago

CLEVELAND - At long last, the 2025-26 NBA season is off and running, at least from a preseason side of things. When it comes to the Bulls and what lies ahead for them this season, this is one of the bigger mysteries in this league, as they have a much younger roster than in previous seasons and are coming off a 14-6 stretch to close out the regular season.

Billy Donovan and his staff are hoping the way they finished the season is a sign of things to come, as the Bulls were one of the hottest teams down the stretch last season. Looking to kick things off with a bang against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Rocket Arena, it was the Bulls taking the Cavaliers' best punches, only to continue to battle back.

This is a team that fared well against double-digit deficits a season ago, and once again, the Bulls found themselves down big as the Cavaliers opened up a 20-8 lead to open the game. From that point on, Chicago continued to show the fight it had displayed over the final 20 games of last season, pulling within three points after three.

Then came the fourth, where both teams continued to exchange buckets as the quarter went on, setting things up for a huge finish. With all the starters out of the game for both sides, it was the role players coming through in a big way as Jevon Carter hit the go-ahead bucket with just over 30 seconds to go, only to have Dalen Terry save the day with a last-second blocked shot to give the Bulls a 118-117 victory to open the preseason.

Even if these wins don't count, any win in the preseason can serve as a confidence booster, and that is something this team could use when you look at the demanding schedule they are set to face over the first month of the season. In what will be his second season in Chicago, all eyes will be on Matas Buzelis and whether or not he can emerge as a face of the franchise type of player.

Coming off an impressive rookie season, Buzelis is expected to be a breakout player this year, and with 19 points and eight rebounds to kick things off, he is off to a great start. He was the lone starter to finish with over 12 points, as most of the Bulls' production came from the bench, which shouldn't shock you in the preseason.

Zach Collins is one of those players looking to carve out a role when the season begins, and a big preseason will go a long way to earning that role. Collins picked up where he left off last season, leading the Bulls' second unit with 16 points in 14 minutes while shooting a near-perfect 7-8 from the field.

He was joined by several players landing in double figures, with Ayo Dosunmu (12 points) and Patrick Williams (11 points) as two of the main pieces. Both of these men will play huge roles for the Bulls this season, as they will need consistent production from them off the bench to have a successful season.

Tre Jones and Carter rounded out the bench with 10 points as Chicago's second unit was on fire. Another player to watch this season is Isaac Okoro, who made a great first impression for Chicago. After being acquired in a trade for Lonzo Ball, Okoro brings a defensive mindset that this team hasn't had in years, as he could be the best defensive player on the team.

Should Okoro find any resemblance of an offense, he could be an X-Factor as he made a lasting first impression with 11 points. Like Chicago, Cleveland opted to keep most of their key pieces in this one, but as expected, they would be on a minutes limit, allowing these players to get up to speed.

De'Andre Hunter led the Cavaliers with 17 points and seven boards as he came out firing. He was one of two starters to land in double figures, joining Evan Mobley, who added 12 points in the loss. When it comes to the Cavaliers' bench, Craig Porter Jr was the man of the hour as he came off the bench to shoot 6-9 from the floor and a perfect 5-5 from distance to finish with 17 points.

Tyrese Proctor added 14 points for the Cavaliers with Nae'Qwon Tomlin and Larry Nance Jr rounding out the double-digit scorers for the Cavaliers, but it wasn't enough to tame the Bulls as they opened up their preseason slate with a 118-117 victory.