Bulls 118, Cavaliers 92
CHICAGO - The Bulls had six players score in double figures and shot the lights out from 3-point range in a 118-92 rout of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday at the United Center.
Oddly enough, Chicago started the night ranked last in the NBA in made 3-point baskets per game, with 4.6. The Bulls signed 3-point specialist Daequan Cook, recently released by Houston, on Sunday.
Cook played the final 2:07 and missed his only shot, but the rest of the Bulls combined to drain 10 of 13 attempts from 3-point range.
Carlos Boozer continued to have a hot hand, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds. He's averaged 27.3 points in his last three games, and has five straight double-doubles.
Luol Deng added 19 poins, Taj Gibson scored 18, Marco Belinelli had 15 and Nate Robinson 14 for the Bulls. Joakim Noah produced 11 points and 11 rebounds. Belinelli and Robinson both went 3 for 4 from behind the 3-point arc.
Cleveland got off to a fast start, leading 30-22 after the first quarter behind 9 points each from Kyrie Irving and C.J. Miles. Miles later left the game with back spasms.
The Bulls reserves closed the gap quickly in the second quarter and the home team took a 53-50 lead into halftime. The Cavaliers were within striking distance until Chicago closed the third quarter with a 9-2 run to take a commanding 88-72 lead heading into the fourth.
Rookie Dion Waiters led Cleveland with 18 points. Irving and Miles finished with 15 points each and Tristan Thompson added 14.
The Bulls improved to 10-0 against the Cavs since the start of the 2010 season. Five of the last six wins have come by at least 26 points.
NOTES: Cleveland center Anderson Varejao missed his 10th consecutive game with a right knee contusion. Forward Luke Walton missed the game due to a personal matter, and guard Daniel Gibson was out because of a concussion. ... After releasing forward Samardo Samuels on Sunday, the Cavaliers recalled Jon Leuer from their D-League affiliate in Canton, Ohio. ... The Bulls' newest addition, former Houston shooting guard Daequan Cook, was in uniform after joining the team Sunday. ... Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is among the finalists for enshrinement in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, according to nba.com. He bought the team as part of an investment group in 1985. "He probably deserves to be in two Hall of Fames," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said of Reinsdorf, who also owns the Chicago White Sox baseball team. "He's a great owner."
