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Cavs Throttle Bulls

Darius Garland scored 24 points and rookie power forward Evan Mobley had 16 points and nine rebounds, sending the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 115-92 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

 

Garland also had six assists as Cleveland won for the fifth time in seven games, earning its most lopsided home victory of the season. Mobley, the third overall draft pick, shot 8 of 11 from the field and had a season-high five blocked shots and two steals.

 

Zach LaVine scored 23 points with nine assists for Chicago, which had its four-game win streak snapped. Lonzo Ball added 19 points and Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and 12 rebounds, but shot 8 for 23 from the field.

 

The Bulls played their second game since leading scorer DeMar DeRozan was placed in the NBA's health and safety protocol for COVID-19. Chicago guards Coby White, Matt Thomas and Javonte Green are sidelined for the same reason.

 

The Cavaliers took command in the third quarter when Kevin Love made three 3-pointers in a 1:57 span to extend their lead to 78-56. Former Chicago forward Lauri Markkanen gave Cleveland its largest spread with a dunk that made it 104-78 midway through the fourth.

 

Markkanen scored 14 points, Jarrett Allen had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Love and Ricky Rubio each had 11 points. The Cavaliers have won five in a row over the Bulls at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

 

Mobley became the second Cleveland rookie with at least 300 points and 40 blocks in his first 22 games, joining John ''Hot Rod'' Williams in 1986-87. The USC product is averaging 14 points, 8.2 rebounds and a rookie-best 2.0 rejections.

 

Chicago, whose bench did not score in the first three quarters, has not won five straight since the 2017-18 season. Ball hit four 3-pointers and converted one of them into a four-point play, but his teammates were 3 of 17 beyond the arc.

 

Bulls G Alex Caruso (right hamstring strain) missed his second straight game, but will have his rehabilitation accelerated to include sprinting and cutting.

 

The Bulls visit the Miami Heat on Saturday.

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