Chicago Bulls push Thursday TNT streak to 20 games, sweep Cavs

The Chicago Bulls extended an incredibly odd winning streak, swept the Cavs, and stayed in the playoff hunt.

The Chicago Bulls have had a maddening season, but you still can’t beat them Thursday nights at home on TNT.

The Bulls’ improbable win streak in such games ran to 20 straight with their 99-93 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. And, for good measure, they swept their season series against the defending champions, staying just one game out of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt.

More from Chicago Bulls

• Chicago Bulls’ winning ways proves Billy Donovan’s system works
• Chicago Bulls News: Coby White is that dude
• Chicago Bulls’ recent success means big trades make sense
• The Chicago Bulls seem to have a major Zach LaVine problem.
• No Zach, no DeMar, no problem? Chicago Bulls stun the Bucks in OT

The Bulls jumped out to a hot start behind Nikola Mirotic, who scored 13 of his game-high 28 points in the first quarter. But the Cavs seized a 28-22 advantage by the end of the quarter, thanks to some early shooting from J.R. Smith (12 points) and Kevin Love (8 points—fouled out).

Then in the second quarter, LeBron James got rolling, ending the first half with 19 points. Going into the half, the Bulls trailed by nine with the score at 50-41.

From there, the Bulls took over the game, torching the Cavs with a 37-21 third quarter and never letting up. Mirotic again was the catalyst, going 3-5 from beyond the arc and scoring nine points total in the frame.

And Jimmy Butler, who took a blow to the eye in the second quarter, shook it off to score 25 points. He also made two three-pointers and finished a shot through Love in the fourth quarter, fouling out the Cavs star.

These last few games have marked an offensive resurgence of sorts of the Bulls. After their 12-of-25 three-point shooting performance last night, they’ve now made 10 or more threes in a franchise-record five consecutive games. Mirotic, in particular, has been outstanding, averaging 18.3 points per contest since being made inactive March 12. Similarly, the reinsertion of Rajon Rondo back into the starting lineup has the Bulls playing faster and more aggressive.

The Bulls now have seven games to close their one-game deficit to the Indiana Pacers for the final playoff spot. If they want make up for last year’s late-season fading, this kind of effort from here on out won’t hurt.

Highlights:

https://twitter.com/BigSportGB/status/847757882225328128

(This one was even more brutal in person.)

Three Stars:

1. Nikola Mirotic: Mirotic was so on fire last night, you’d think he was playing NBA Jam. He knocked down 6-11 three-pointers on 9-14 shooting overall, single-handedly killing multiple Cleveland runs. In the midst of a wildly inconsistent third year as a Bull, Mirotic is currently looking like a guy that can carry a team into the playoffs.

2. Rajon Rondo: While he didn’t contribute many points, Rondo’s steady, experienced hand guided the Bulls through much of last night’s game. He had 15 assists and nine rebounds to go with his seven points—a classic Rondo game—constantly pushing the pace and attacking the basket. If the Bulls intend to make the playoffs, this is the Rondo the Bulls need every night from here on in.

3. Jimmy Butler: As per usual, Butler did a little bit of everything (25 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals). And while Mirotic carried the Bulls for majority of the night, Butler again hit several key shots down the stretch to help put the game away.

Next: Jimmy Butler on His Way Out of Town?

Next Game:

The Chicago Bulls will try to keep the momentum going Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to stave off a four-game losing streak against the lowly Philadelphia 76ers tonight.