Bulls take down injury-ravaged Cavs
CLEVELAND -- Jimmy Butler scored 14 points in the fourth quarter after a slow start and the Chicago Bulls held on for a 106-94 win over the depleted Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
LeBron James had 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while playing 37 minutes despite battling an illness.
The Cavs were also without Kevin Love (food poisoning) and Kyrie Irving (right hamstring).
Butler started slowly two nights after scoring 52 points against the Charlotte Hornets, but he had 10 straight for the Bulls during one stretch of the fourth quarter when the Cavs were rallying.
Butler drew a charge on James after he scored consecutive baskets to pull the Cavs within 89-88 in the fourth quarter. James scored on the charge, but the basket was waived off.
Butler nailed a 3-pointer at the other end to keep Chicago in front and the Cavs never got any closer.
Doug McDermott scored 17 points off the bench, including 15 in the third quarter, and the Bulls made a season-high 13 3-pointers after starting the night 1 of 8 from deep in the first quarter.
Jordan McRae scored 21 points for Cleveland, Channing Frye had 15 points and Tristan Thompson grabbed 11 rebounds.
The defending champs have been ravaged by injury and illness in recent weeks, yet this marked their first loss in a game that James has played since Dec. 2 -- also against the Bulls at United Center.
Irving missed his third game with a right hamstring injury and Love is still feeling the effects of food poisoning he contracted on a New Year’s Eve flight home after a game at Charlotte.
Love lost at least 10 pounds as a result and coach Tyronn Lue said his conditioned worsened in the 48 hours since he played 24 lethargic minutes against New Orleans on Monday. He remains hopeful Love can play Friday at Brooklyn.
In perhaps a bit of gamesmanship, both James and Dwyane Wade were considered questionable at the start of the night.
Neither team announced they were playing until close to tip-off, and both announcements came within minutes of the other. Wade, battling a sore knee, scored 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field.
NOTES: Cavs G/F Mike Dunleavy returned after missing two games with a right ankle injury. It was his first game against his former team after playing the last three years in Chicago. He missed the December game at United Center with a concussion. ... The flu/injury bug sweeping through the Cavs has yet to affect Tristan Thompson, whose consecutive games played streak reached an NBA-leading 404. "Just taking care of my body, just vitamins, rest and (being) lucky," he said. "Shoot, you got to get lucky sometimes in this game to be able to play every night and play at a high level. So the cards are in my favor, for now." ... Bulls F Jimmy Butler began the night averaging 35.8 points in his last four games. "He's such a complete player with his ability to score in the post. He can do it mid-range, he's shot the 3-ball very well," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "Off the dribble, he creates contact and is getting himself to the free throw line, and passing and rebounding. He's done a little bit of everything."