Cavs Fall to Bulls in Preseason Opener, 118-117

The Cavaliers hit the hardwood at Rocket Arena for the first time since their postseason ouster last spring – taking on the Bulls in the 2025-26 preseason opener on Monday night. 

The game itself turned out to be a thriller, with Chicago rallying past Cleveland late and fending off the Cavs alley-oop attempt at the buzzer, as Chicago’s Dalen Terry rejected Thomas Bryant’s tip-in attempt with 0.3 remaining in regulation to preserve the 118-117 victory. 

All five of the Cavalier starters played less than 18 minutes, with both De’Andre Hunter and Evan Mobley tallying double-figure scoring during their truncated run. Fresh off his first full Training Camp with the team, Hunter was an efficient 7-of-9 from the floor, finishing with 17 points to go with a team-high seven boards. Mobley, the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, chipped in with 12 points, six boards and a block. 

The contest was tied at 57-apiece at intermission, but Cleveland jumped out by a touchdown after three quarters behind the hot shooting of Craig Porter Jr., who scored 11 of his 17 points in the third – canning all three triples he attempted.

But the Bulls shot 50 percent from the floor and put up 35 points in the final period, taking the lead on Javon Carter’s layup with 36 seconds to play and making it stick as Luke Travers was unable to tie the game on Cleveland’s next possession, splitting a pair of free throws to seal the deal. 

Porter was outstanding from the floor overall. The 3^rd-year man from Wichita State finished the night a perfect 5-for-5 from long-range – 6-of-9 from the floor overall – finishing with 17 points to lead all reserves, adding four boards, four assists and pair of steals. 

Rookie Tyrese Proctor was almost as impressive – chipping in 14 points in just under 12 minutes of work off the bench. The former Blue Devil finished with 14 points, going 5-for-6 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from long-range, adding a pair of assists of his own in the loss. 

Following the game, Porter talked about the backcourt battle between he and Proctor that led them to Monday night’s impressive performances. 

“We've been battling, but I feel like it's a good challenge for both of us,” smiled Porter. “We’ve got very similar games and it's just what’s going to make the team better. It’s just, (Proctor)’s literally my evil twin, and I've been saying since he got here. I'm glad he's on my team.”

Larry Nance Jr., in his return to Cleveland after four years away, posted a solid floor game, finishing with 11 points, four assists, three boards and a pair of steals – going 4-for-9 from the floor in 18 minutes of action. 

Nae’Qwan Tomlin rounded out the Cavaliers in double-figures with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, adding three boards and a pair of steals despite dealing with foul trouble for most of the second stanza. 

The Bulls were led by sophomore Matas Buzelis, who finished with a game-high 19 points in the win. Former Cavalier Isaac Okoro, who was dealt to Chicago in the offseason in exchange for Lonzo Ball, chipped in with 11 points. 

The Cavaliers travel to Chicago for a rapid rematch in their first preseason road test on Thursday night.