CHICAGO — The lineup change didn’t work.
The floundering Cavs lost to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, 127-111, inside the United Center. It’s Cleveland’s second straight defeat to a below .500 opponent. The seventh setback in the last 10 games.
The Cavs have spent the last month searching for internal solutions. They’ve tried anything and everything to snap out of this prolonged funk.
An uncomfortable film session. Player-led meetings. Stylistic tweaks. Unfiltered postgame commentary. Voluntary shootarounds. Spirited practices.
None of it has yielded the desired result.
On Wednesday night, coach Kenny Atkinson changed his starting lineup, moving De’Andre Hunter into a sixth man role. He was replaced in the starting five by second-year swingman Jaylon Tyson — a lineup that will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
Early on, it seemed like a stroke of brilliance. The Cavs built a 12-point lead about six minutes into the game.
The offense was in sync, and the defense was active.
But the Bulls, with just one win in their last nine games entering the night, switched to zone, causing Cleveland to stall out. The flummoxed Cavs tallied just nine points in about seven-plus minutes against that defensive look, allowing the Bulls pull closer.
Despite leading for the first 11 minutes Wednesday night, the Cavs were down by four at halftime.
They never reclaimed the advantage.
The Bulls scored seven straight points out of the locker room, building a double-digit advantage and forcing an exasperated Atkinson to call timeout.
The Cavs couldn’t regroup. They trailed the entire second half, by a game-high 19 late in the fourth quarter, leading to Atkinson emptying the bench and waving the white flag.
Donovan Mitchell, under the weather the last few days, finished with 32 points on 11 of 23 shooting, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range. Tyson, the new full-time starting small forward, chipped in with 21 points. Darius Garland added 15 points — although only four in the second half. Hunter contributed 12 points off the bench.
The Cavs committed 20 turnovers, their second most in a game this season, that Chicago turned into 21 points.
The Bulls were led by All-Star hopeful Josh Giddey, who recorded another triple-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in 34 minutes. Coby White poured in 25 points while Nikola Vucevic had 20.
The undermanned Cavs continue to miss Evan Mobley (calf strain), Sam Merrill (right hand sprain), Larry Nance Jr. (calf strain) and Max Strus (foot surgery recovery). But that’s no excuse.
Not Wednesday. Not with some of these other losses against lesser opponents.
Prior to tipoff, Atkinson spoke about the team staying connected in the face of early-season adversity.
He still sees spirit. He trusts the team leaders. His belief is unshakeable.
But with every loss that is being tested.
Up next
The Cavs will return home for another matchup with the Bulls on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
