Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls Game Preview

For the second time this season, the Cavs and Bulls are set to square off. The teams first met on March 24th, where the Cavs won by nine, and then Chicago opted to totally retool their roster from there. They made several trades, and the roster now looks very different. Unfortunately, they enter action, having lost their way, dropping each of their last five games. It’s not looking so good for them.

Cleveland took a loss to Golden State, a team they have now not beaten since Christmas Day, 2016. They sit at 20-35 and a few games behind Chicago. Too bad for them, the Wizards and Raptors both picked up wins on Friday night, as the race to #10 is very much on in full swing. Any of the teams involved will have a chance, and CLE’s chances would be crushed if they lost this one.

The Bulls have lost their way and don’t have Zach LaVine to try and help them out of it. Coby White rejoined the starting lineup in his place on Friday night and poured it on from the tip. They also chose to add Daniel Theis to the starting unit for some reason that nobody is able to understand. What the heck is happening with the Bulls?

Cavs Seeking Critical Win

The final 17 games of the Cavs season will all have a playoff feel to them, which is great for a young team. Most of the guys besides Dellavedova and Kevin Love have no playoff experience, so the high-stakes games can perhaps simulate it. They need a whole lot of wins and also losses from the teams around them if they want to sneak into the play-in. Just two games behind Chicago, this is the biggest game of the year.

Collin Sexton and Darius Garland have been able to score the ball well, but they don’t always get help. Love had been playing well but made just two shots for five points against those pesky Warriors. Taurean Prince is in a zone, while Larry Nance Jr. is trying to rediscover his now that he is back in the lineup.

Cavs have to be ready to play. Huge game.

Bulls Look to Right Ship

Despite the recent skid, Chicago is holding tight to the #10 spot, the final one for a team hoping to qualify for the play-in tournament. And if they get in, nobody is going to want to face them. Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine will figure it out at some juncture, and when they do, it will be hard to beat them in a single game.

If Coby can put in another performance like he did against Memphis, the Cavs may be in trouble. While the Bulls lack star power, they do have a decent list of role players who perform well in larger roles. Lauri Markkanen is all but invisible at this point, but Thad Young has proven to be a very good fit for what the team is trying to do here.

Should be a good battle between some talented young hoopers tonight.