The Chicago Bulls needed a spark. They got a blaze. Behind Josh Giddey’s sixth triple-double of the season and Coby White’s steady scoring, Chicago shot the lights out and handled the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-111 on Wednesday night. It was the opener of a home-and-home, and it felt like a reset for a Bulls team that had dropped eight of its previous nine games.

This win wasn’t about one hot quarter. It was about control, pace, and smart shots. Chicago hit 56.2% from the field, stayed patient, and made the Cavs chase all night. For a group that has struggled for rhythm, this was the cleanest look yet at who the Bulls want to be.

Josh Giddey’s triple-double sets the tone vs. Cavaliers

Giddey was the connector and the closer. He finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, and he stretched the floor with a career-high five made threes. That last detail mattered a lot. When Giddey hits from outside, defenders have to come up, and it opens lanes for cuts and drives.

Giddey’s passing kept the ball hopping. He found shooters in rhythm and bigs in their sweet spots. It wasn’t flashy — it was sharp and simple. The kind that wins games in December and matters even more later.

“If Giddey’s hitting threes, this offense looks completely different.”

Coby White’s 25 points gave Chicago a steady scoring engine

While Giddey steered the ship, White brought the pop. He scored 25 points and kept pressure on Cleveland with quick decisions — pull-up jumpers when defenders ducked under, and drives when they didn’t. His balance with Giddey worked: one pushing the pace and passing, the other reading the gaps and attacking.

White has been one of Chicago’s most reliable scorers. On a night when the Bulls needed clean offense, he delivered timely buckets and helped keep the Cavs at arm’s length.

Nikola Vucevic’s fourth-quarter plays sealed it

Every win needs a closer at the rim. Nikola Vucevic had 20 points and 9 rebounds, and he made three big plays in the fourth: a three-pointer, a layup, and a tip-in. Those touches matter when opponents try to make a late push. Cleveland got within range, but Vucevic’s scoring helped slam the door.

The Bulls led by 15 in the third quarter and still had work to do. Midway through the fourth, it was 106-97. That’s when Chicago fired off an 11-3 run to stretch it to 117-100, and from there the Bulls cruised. Vucevic’s timing inside was a big reason why.

“Vooch doesn’t need 30 — he needs those two or three late touches that calm everything down.”

Bulls vs Cavaliers: hot shooting, clean execution

Chicago’s shot chart told the story. The Bulls finished 50-of-89 from the field (56.2%), made 14-of-36 from deep, and went 13-of-18 at the line. When the ball moves and the looks are clean, those numbers follow.

The Bulls won the second quarter 29-24 and the third 33-30, then polished it off in the fourth with that late 11-3 kick. The offense was steady across the middle of the game, not just one big burst. That kind of consistency helps guard against swings from a star like Donovan Mitchell on the other side.

Donovan Mitchell scores 32, but Cavs’ slide continues

Mitchell did his part with 32 points. Jaylon Tyson added 21, and Darius Garland had 15 points with 6 assists. Cleveland had enough production to stay close, but not enough stops to change the math.

Now at 15-13, the Cavaliers have dropped seven of their last 10, a stretch that they did not see this early last season. For a team seen as an Eastern Conference favorite, that is a yellow flag. The Cavs can score, but right now they are not stringing together stops for long enough stretches — and the Bulls’ shot-making laid that bare.

“Mitchell was cooking. But if the Cavs can’t get stops, these runs flip fast.”

Context that matters: breaking a trend against Cleveland

The win also breaks a trend that had frustrated Chicago. The Bulls had dropped 12 of their last 13 meetings with the Cavaliers. This one changes the tone — not a streak breaker by itself, but a reminder that the gap is not fixed.

And it comes as the first half of a home-and-home. That adds extra weight. Chicago didn’t just win; it set a marker for the return game. If the Bulls carry over the ball movement and shot discipline, they’ll make Cleveland adjust to them instead of the other way around.

What’s next in the home-and-home

Game one goes to Chicago. The plan that traveled best tonight was simple: let Giddey drive the tempo, trust White’s scoring, and give Vucevic touches late. Around them, role players hit open threes and cut with purpose. That is a repeatable recipe.

For Cleveland, the fix starts on defense. Mitchell will score, and Garland will create, but the Cavs must protect the arc and control the glass to avoid another shooting clinic against them. The Bulls shot with comfort, and comfort beats talent more often than teams want to admit.

Most of all, this was a needed reset for Chicago. After losing eight of nine, the Bulls looked free and focused. If that carries forward, the second leg of this series will feel very different from most Cavs-Bulls matchups over the past year.

On a cold night in Chicago, the Bulls finally found some heat — and the Cavaliers felt it.