Donovan Mitchell erupted in the final minutes, scoring eight straight points in just over a minute as the Cleveland Cavaliers mounted a dramatic late surge to defeat the Chicago Bulls 128-122 on Saturday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland trailed by 19 in the second quarter and faced a six-point deficit with under two minutes remaining before Mitchell took over. His three consecutive baskets, capped by a driving layup with 34 seconds left, completed a 12-0 closing run that sealed the Cavaliers’ fourth straight win.
Mitchell finished with 29 points, six rebounds, and six assists — 26 of those points coming after halftime. De’Andre Hunter matched his season high with 29 points, while Evan Mobley added 24 points and eight rebounds in another strong performance inside.
The victory improved Cleveland’s record to 7-3, with three straight home wins. The Cavaliers shot 48.9% from the field and knocked down 17 three-pointers, overcoming a sluggish start and the absence of point guard Darius Garland, who sat out the second half of a back-to-back.
Chicago, which fell to 6-3, had controlled much of the game behind a balanced effort. Isaac Okoro led the Bulls with 19 points, Jalen Smith added 18 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, and Tre Jones tallied 17 points and four assists. Josh Giddey flirted with a triple-double, contributing 15 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
The Bulls built their biggest lead at 72-53 late in the second quarter after a 25-5 run, during which they hit seven of their first nine attempts from deep. But the Cavaliers chipped away behind improved defense and timely shot-making from Hunter and Mobley.
Mitchell’s fourth-quarter outburst flipped the game. His back-to-back threes cut the deficit to one before a three-point play gave Cleveland its first lead since the opening quarter. The Cavaliers’ defense then forced three straight empty possessions from Chicago to finish the comeback.
Cleveland’s bench provided key minutes, with Jaylon Tyson scoring 17 and Craig Porter Jr. dishing out eight assists in relief of Garland. The Cavaliers also dominated points in the paint, 58-46, and outscored the Bulls 35-22 in the final period.
The Bulls have now dropped three of their last four after a 5-0 start. They’ll look to rebound Monday when they host the San Antonio Spurs. Cleveland travels to Miami for a two-game set beginning Monday against the Heat.
