NBA Preseason: Mobley Leads Three Cavs with 20+ Points, but Bulls Prevail 119–112

5JL reports that on October 10th — In a thrilling NBA preseason matchup, the Chicago Bulls held off the Cleveland Cavaliers 119–112 at home. Despite strong performances from Cleveland’s top trio — Evan Mobley (21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Donovan Mitchell (22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists), and De’Andre Hunter (20 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists) — the Cavs couldn’t overcome the Bulls’ balanced offense. Ayo Dosunmu led Chicago with 16 points, while Josh Giddey contributed 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Quarter Scores (Cavs first): 32–32, 15–18, 39–37, 26–32

Cavaliers Stats:
Mitchell 22 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast; Mobley 21 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast; Hunter 20 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast; Wade 8 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast; Travers 8 pts, 4 reb; Proctor 7 pts, 1 reb, 4 ast; Bryant 7 pts, 5 reb; Tyson 6 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast; Porter 5 pts, 5 reb; Allen 4 pts, 9 reb; Ball 3 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast; Tomlin 1 pt, 1 reb; Nance Jr. 3 reb, 1 ast.

Bulls Stats:
Dosunmu 16 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast; Carter 14 pts, 2 reb; Giddey 14 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast; Collins 13 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast; Buzelis 11 pts, 2 reb; Jones 10 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast; Williams 8 pts, 3 reb; Smith 8 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast; Okoro 6 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast; Aldridge 6 pts, 2 reb; Miller 4 pts, 2 reb; Yuki Kawamura 3 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast; Gay 2 pts, 1 reb; Essengue 2 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast; Terry 2 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast.

The Cavaliers came out firing in the first quarter, using a burst of fast-paced offense to open up a 10-point lead. Donovan Mitchell found his rhythm early, scoring 10 points with two three-pointers. However, the Bulls quickly regrouped and tied the game at 32–32 by the end of the first period.

The second quarter saw both sides trading baskets, neither allowing the other to pull away. Chicago’s consistent execution gave them a slight 50–47 lead at halftime.

In the third, the Bulls extended their advantage to 11 points before the Cavs answered back with an energetic run led again by Mitchell, who poured in another 10 points. Cleveland even grabbed a 6-point lead at one stage, but the Bulls clawed back, edging ahead 87–86 heading into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter was tightly contested, but the Bulls maintained their composure down the stretch. With steadier execution in the final minutes, they secured the 119–112 win — a promising preseason performance for Chicago’s young core.

Starting Lineups:
Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, De’Andre Hunter, Jalen Tyson, Jarrett Allen
Bulls: Josh Giddey, Zach Collins, Matas Buzelis, Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro