Cavaliers news, features and notes
- Cavs prepare for visit with UNLV’s Anthony Bennett
- NBA Draft: Cleveland Cavaliers could make Ben McLemore first shooting guard to go No. 1 in nearly 40 years
- Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Tyler Zeller invited to minicamp for national team
- Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller chosen for Team USA minicamp
- Offensive-minded Igor Kokoskov to join Mike Brown’s staff with Cavaliers
- Cavs to hire offensive-minded Igor Kokoskov for Mike Brown's coaching staff
- Jason Lloyd: Lottery victory brings Cavs plenty of options through trades and draft
- Cleveland Cavaliers win draft lottery, will pick No. 1 again
- Cavs win draft lottery, will pick No. 1 in NBA Draft
- NBA Draft lottery: Cavs’ third-best odds have history of turning into top selection
SUBSCRIBE VIA RSS
Final thoughts: Bulls 115, Cavs 86
It's only two games, hardly enough time to sound the alarm, but it was disturbing to hear Byron Scott talk tonight about how the guys didn't come out prepared to match the Bulls' intensity from the start.
It's disturbing because it's what he has said so many times after losses each of the last two seasons. Good teams all too often absolutely crush the Cavs in the first 10-18 minutes, then take the rest of the night off.
There are only two rookies on this team. The rest of these guys, regardless of how young, should be fully aware of how badly the Bulls smashed them three times last season. The Bulls are the veteran team. They should be the ones bored to be facing a below-average Cavs team on the road and the young Cavs should be the ones excited to be playing at home. Instead it was the exact opposite.
The losses could quickly mount on this road trip. It's conceivable the Cavs go 1-5 or even 0-6. If they start as sluggish as they did on Friday, it's going to be a long, bloody trip.
Stats
Cavs: Kyrie Irving 15 points, 4 assists, 4 turnovers; Anderson Varejao 12 points, 5 rebounds; Alonzo Gee 12 points, 4 rebounds. Bulls: Richard Hamilton 19 points, Carlos Boozer 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists; Nate Robinson 16 points, 12 assiss.
Key stat
The Cavs lost all three games to the Bulls last season by an average of 30.7 points. They lost this one by 29. Progress?
Turning point
The Cavs made six shots and the Bulls missed only five in the first quarter. They shot 74 percent, while the Cavs turned it over nine times, and Chicago led 32-16 after the first quarter. It was never close again.
He said it
"That's what you call a good old-fashioned butt whooping. Obviously as a young team, we still have a lot to learn. You have to come ready to play from the get-go. I don't think we matched their intensity from the start of the game 'til the end of the game."
Up next
The Cavaliers (1-1) travel to the Milwaukee Bucks (1-0) Saturday night.
