Donovan Mitchell scores 37, Cavaliers stay perfect and improve to 14-0 with 144-126 win over Bulls

Chicago Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic (9) is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen, left, and Georges Niang (20) during the first half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game in Cleveland, Friday, Nov 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

by: TOM WITHERS, Associated Press

Posted: Nov 15, 2024 / 07:11 PM PST

Updated: Nov 15, 2024 / 07:11 PM PST

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 37 points, Darius Garland had 29 and the Cleveland Cavaliers continued one of the best starts in league history, improving to 14-0 with a 144-126 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night in an NBA Cup game.

The Cavs are the sixth team to go 14-0 and first since the Golden State Warriors opened 24-0 in 2015-16.

Cleveland’s 14-game winning streak is the longest in the club’s 55-year existence. The Cavs won 13 in a row three times when LeBron James played for them.

Jarrett Allen added 24 points and Caris LeVert had 22 for the Cavs, who have been perfect under first-year coach Kenny Atkinson.

Coby White scored 29 and Nikola Vucevic had 25 for the Bulls, who were still within four points on Ayo Dosunmu’s dunk with 2:55 left. However, LeVert and Mitchell dropped 3-pointers as the Cavs blitzed the Bulls 21-7 the rest of the way.

The Cavs played without starting forward Evan Mobley, who has been battling an illness the past few days.

Takeaways

Bulls: The league’s fastest-paced team by most offensive metrics had too many rushed shots and poor possessions to pull off the win.

Cavaliers: At home. On the road. Short-handed. It doesn’t matter. They’re playing with energy and a connectivity that’s only building their confidence and trust in Atkinson, who inherited a great situation and is only making it better.

Key moment

Sensing the need to take over, Mitchell opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer and scored Cleveland’s first nine points of the period. He had 18 in the last 12 minutes.

Key stat

Cleveland set a franchise record for points in a quarter with 49 in the first.

“It’s been in Ohio as early as the mid-1850s at least, brought in as an ornamental plant because of its unique foliage and white flowers,” Gardner said. “It was actually planted in people’s landscaping, and it has been spreading.”