Cavaliers 97, Bulls 93
CLEVELAND -- Center Andrew Bynum had 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in the Cavaliers' 97-93 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena.
Bynum showed flashes of yesteryear by making 8-of-14 shots from the field and 4-of-4 from the foul line in 30 minutes. All of his totals were season highs.
The 7-foot, 294-pounder missed the 2012-13 season with knee issues. It was his first double-double of the season.
He helped the Cavs (5-12) snap a five-game losing streak. They came into Saturday's game having lost eight of their last nine games.
Shooting guard Dion Waiters also scored 20 points for the Cavs, who snapped a six-game losing streak to the Bulls at The Q.
Point guard Kyrie Irving tallied 19 points and six assists.
For the Bulls (7-8), forward Luol Deng fired in a game-high 27 points and matched his career high with 11 assists.
Cavs power forward Tristan Thompson's rebound in traffic with 9 seconds left -- his 14th rebound of the game -- led to two free throws for the final margin. He also had 14 points for his eighth double-double of the season.
Bulls guard Tony Snell had a career-high 18 points in his third start of the season, while forward Taj Gibson also had 18 points.
The Cavs shot 47.4 percent from the field. The Bulls were a tad better at 47.6 percent.
The Cavs won the battle of the boards, 41-36.
The Bulls are now 1-3 without Derrick Rose, who was lost for the season after knee surgery.
The Cavs led by five points at halftime, 56-51, as they shot 59 percent.
Irving picked up his play in the second quarter with seven of his 12 points. He even made his first 3-point goal, snapping a string of 13 misses in a row.
Bynum and Thompson each made 4-of-5 shots from the field en route to 10 points at halftime. Bynum added six rebounds and Thompson four. The Cavs led the battle on the boards in the first half, 19-15.
Deng was outstanding in the first half with 14 points and six assists. He made 6-of-8 shots from the field.
Former Cavs forward Carlos Boozer added 10 points and four rebounds for the Bulls in the first half.
The Cavs had just five turnovers in the first half, the Bulls just three.
Thompson, who has averaged 5.0 points in his previous five games, scored eight of his points in the opening quarter. It helped the Cavs take a 27-25 lead.
Both teams shot at a torrid pace in the first quarter. The Cavs shot 61 percent, compared to the Bulls' 55 percent.
Hinrich had seven points in the first for the Bulls.
NOTES: After a four-game absence, G C.J. Miles started at shooting guard for the Cavaliers. He had been suffering from a strained right calf. ... Bulls G Tony Snell was making his third consecutive start at shooting guard. "Everyone has to understand what their job is," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "If one man isn't doing their job, everyone looks bad." ... Snell is replacing G Jimmy Butler in the starting lineup. Butler has a right toe injury. Before he can return, Thibodeau said Butler needs to get all the swelling out of his toe and he has to return to the practice court. "He's two steps away right now," the coach said. ... Coach Mike Brown said the Cavaliers are getting more proficient at throwing entry passes to Andrew Bynum in the post. "We've seen flashes of it getting better," Brown said. ... Brown said the Bulls are still a quality team without G Derrick Rose, who is out for the season after having knee surgery. "They have a great coach in Tom Thibodeau," Brown said. "If you look at their main guys, they've been in that system for four or five years now. They have some NBA All-Stars. Take that combination of experience and toughness and it's a tough team, a resilient team."
