NEWSLETTER
Goal of the night: To see Javonte Green posterize Lauri Markkanen for the second-straight game.
Game Info
Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers — 6:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio)
Projected Starters
Chicago Bulls
1. Lonzo Ball
2. Javonte Green
3. Zach LaVine
4. DeMar DeRozan
5. Nikola Vucevic
Inactive: Patrick Williams (ankle), Coby White (shoulder), Tony Bradley (back)
Cleveland Cavaliers
1. Darius Garland
2. Collin Sexton
3. Isaac Okoro
4. Evan Mobley
5. Jarrett Allen
Inactive: N/A
What to Watch For …
• The Chicago Bulls will not only be tested on the road for the first time this preseason, but they will face their first repeat opponents. The Cavaliers have plenty of discouraging film to watch from their first meeting with this crew on Monday, which means they should come equipped with plenty of adjustments. Are the Bulls ready to make their own?
• Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Kevin Love, and Lauri Markkanen give the Cavaliers a towering presence in the frontcourt, but they struggled to use this to their advantage in the first meeting with Chicago. The Bulls out-rebounded the Cavs 57-51, and they also walked away with a 11-8 advantage in the block department. Look for these Cavalier bigs to come back with a bully-ball vengeance.
• Likewise, the Cavaliers will want to slowdown the Bulls wicked-fast pace, but whether or not they’ll be able to is the big question. The Bulls put up an absurd 109 shots against this team and finished with 36 assists. It’s hard to see those numbers replicated, but we know it will not be for a lack of trying.
• Derrick Jones Jr. made his first appearance for his new team on Friday, but he only saw 10 minutes of action. I expect a nice bump in playing time for him tonight, especially with the starters.
• The Bulls could have been flawless in their first preseason game if it was not for a massive discrepancy at the free-throw line. Chicago fouled the Cavs 24 times to lose the FTA battle 35-18. Playing a cleaner game on the defensive end should be a priority this time around.
