NBA: Bulls outlast Cavaliers in double-overtime thriller

DeMar DeRozan had 35 points and 10 rebounds, Nikola Vucevic added 24 points and 13 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls outlasted the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 132-123 in double-overtime on Wednesday.

Ayo Dosunmu scored 21 points and Andre Drummond had 17 points and had a season-high 26 rebounds for Chicago, which scored the first eight points in double overtime.

Coby White had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and rookie Onuralp Bitim chipped in a career-high 10 points.

Chicago outrebounded Cleveland 74-39 and snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Cavaliers.

Evan Mobley led Cleveland with 25 points and 13 rebounds, while Darius Garland made a season-high seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points. Donovan Mitchell added 19 points, Caris LeVert chipped in 14 points and a career-high 15 assists, Isaac Okoro scored 13, and Jarrett Allen and Max Strus each had 11.

Vucevic hit one of two foul shots with 38.4 seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 103, and the game went to overtime after DeRozan missed a potential game-winning jumper with two seconds remaining.

DeRozan was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 12.3 seconds left in the first overtime and hit all three foul shots to tie the score at 115. Mitchell missed a jumper with 1.5 seconds left that would have won it for Cleveland.

Chicago took a 127-121 lead in double overtime after Bitim hit two foul shots with 34.7 seconds left and held on for the win. The loss was Cleveland’s first overtime loss since May 4, 2021, snapping a streak of 11 straight wins.

Cleveland led 32-23 at the end of the opening quarter after shooting 51.9 percent from the floor.

The Bulls responded in the second quarter and moved ahead 48-45 on Vucevic’s 3-pointer with 2:45 left in the half.

Mobley scored 14 points in the first half for Cleveland, which held a 53-52 advantage at the break. Vucevic had 12 points to lead the Bulls.

After Chicago pulled ahead 74-71 late in the third quarter, Cleveland closed on a 10-4 run to lead 81-78 at the end of the period.

Cleveland opened the fourth quarter on an 11-4 run before the Bulls battled back and pulled within 97-92 with 5:04 remaining after Dosunmu hit back-to-back 3-pointers.

Chicago played without guard Alex Caruso, who sat out with a right hamstring strain.

–Field Level Media/Reuters