• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Bynum, Cavaliers beat Bulls

Dec 1, 2013 - 8:36 AM Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Andrew Bynum scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked five shots to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 97-93 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Tristan Thompson scored 14 and had 14 rebounds, Dion Waiters had 20 points and Kyrie Irving added 19 points and six assists for Cleveland, which ended a five-game skid.

"It's actually good to jump and see that it wasn't too bad on the landing. I think, more so than anything, it's about getting more and more minutes and getting out on the floor and getting my touch back," Bynum said.

Luol Deng scored a game-high 27 points and dished out 11 assists, Tony Snell and Taj Gibson each added 18 points apiece and Kirk Hinrich and Carlos Boozer both tallied 12 points for the Bulls, who have lost five of their last six games.

"We have to do better," Gibson said. "We learned a lot just being on the road. These guys have to play a lot harder. We're too sluggish starting games and we just have to do better -- that's the main thing."

Trailing 95-93, Deng drove to the right block and missed a short jumper with 10.9 seconds to play. Joakim Noah and Boozer combined to miss three tip-in attempts.

Thompson grabbed the rebound and made two free throws with nine seconds remaining to seal the victory.

Down by 14, 82-68, early in the fourth quarter, the Bulls went on a 14-2 run to get within two. Gibson's three-point play with 6:11 to go made it an 84-82 contest.

Chicago used a 6-0 spurt moments later to take the lead. Snell's layup with 3:59 remaining made it 88-87.

Bynum followed that basket with one of his own to spark an 8-0 Cleveland run. Waiters capped the flurry with a layup and jumper to make it a 95-88 contest.

Deng's 3-pointer and Boozer's layup cut the gap to 95-93 with 40.9 seconds left.

Cleveland came out firing and started the game with a 9-0 run. The Cavaliers led by as many as 10 in the opening stanza, but the Bulls scored the final seven points of the frame to get within 27-25.

A tight second quarter that featured five lead changes and nine ties ended with the Cavaliers holding a 56-51 edge.

Cleveland's margin reached 15, 71-56, on Irving's bank shot with 7:08 left in the third period.

But the Bulls scored the next seven points to get within eight. Snell's 3- pointer and jumper cut the deficit to 71-63. It was a 77-66 game heading to the fourth.

Game Notes

Waiters went 8-of-10 from the field ... Cleveland went 16-of-19 from the foul line ... Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was given a technical foul in the second quarter.