Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls made it two wins on the trot after overcoming a pesky and understrength Cleveland Cavaliers team 136-125.
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The Bulls got off to a slow start, trailing 11-0, before turning it around in the second quarter to lead by 11 at halftime after a scoreless first half from Jarrett Allen.
Giddey, after a relatively quiet first quarter by his lofty standards, started to make his presence felt in the second with eight quick points to close out the period.
It wasn’t easy and the Cavaliers rallied in the third quarter to threaten what would have been a huge win considering their growing injury toll, but the far healthier Bulls finished on top.
Giddey had 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists while Matas Buzelis continued to establish himself as the future face of the Bulls with 24 points.
That tied a team-high along with Nikola Vucevic, who added 15 rebounds in the win. All up, seven Bulls scored in double figures while the ball movement was again much-improved for a second-straight game as Chicago finished with 34 assists as a team.
Australian rookie Tyrese Proctor got the first start of his career for the undermanned Cavaliers and made an immediate impact, making back-to-back 3-pointers.
He cooled off from there but started to catch fire again at the end of the game, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists.
The rookie produced a particularly nice pass through a tight window to set up Thomas Bryant at the rim while he was also picking his moments well to attack to the rim when the 3-point shot was not there, overcoming an inefficient first half to finish a solid 6-for-15 from the field.
Speaking before the game, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson called Proctor a “gem” after selecting the Australian with the 49th overall pick in this year’s draft.
“I’d just say what a pick…we found a gem,” Atkinson said.
“I love his demeanour, love his confidence. He looks like he belongs… when he steps in an NBA game, I feel really confident on both ends.
“This guy defends his tail off and knows how to defend. He’s got some swag (and) confidence in what he does. I love that about him.”
The Cavaliers were without their two best players Donovan Mitchell (illness) and Evan Mobley (calf strain), while Craig Porter Jr. (illness), Sam Merrill (sprained right hand), Larry Nance Jr. (calf strain) and Max Strus (foot surgery) were also unavailable.
Things were so desperate for Cleveland that the team scrambled to book a last-minute flight for fellow Australian two-way player Luke Travers, who was preparing to play for the Charge in the G League only to receive the call-up.
According to cleveland.com, Travers took a Southwest Airlines direct flight that landed in Cleveland just two hours before tipoff. He had five minutes and scored four points in the loss.
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