With Caruso back, Bulls put clamps on Cavs
Alex Caruso's return to game action from a broken right wrist was pretty much a complete success Saturday, even his 23-second rest period late in the fourth quarter.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan pulled Caruso after a foul, thinking the defensive-minded guard needed a break and Caruso wasn't necessarily happy about it.
"I think he was just trying to get me a break," Caruso said after producing 11 points and 4 steals. "At the time, I was competitive, right? The free throw I thought was going to be my break. I'm going to follow whatever he says. He said, 'Whenever you're ready go back.' As soon as he did, I just stood up and walked (to the scorer's table)."
It's probably more than a coincidence that the 101-91 victory over Cleveland was the first time the Bulls held an opponent in double digits since Jan. 21 against Milwaukee. The game against the Bucks was the last time Caruso played.
"For six weeks off, to be able to come back and play 29 minutes and try to guard an all-star guard (Darius Garland)," Caruso said. "It felt great. When the game started, I was standing up for random plays that probably didn't need to be cheered for. I was just excited to be back playing basketball."
The Bulls hadn't held a team below 91 points since Nov. 26 at Orlando. This was the fifth-lowest point total by a Bulls opponent this season. The first four all happened in October and November.
DeMar DeRozan didn't shoot particularly well, but led the Bulls with 25 points while going 9-for-26 from the field. Nikola Vucevic added 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Ayo Dosunmu scored 17. Zach LaVine sat out with a sore left knee.
The Cavaliers were on a tough back-to-back after losing in Miami on Friday, while the Bulls had two days off. Cleveland was also missing ex-Bull Lauri Markkanen with an ankle injury and all-star center Jarrett Allen with a broken finger. Markkanen scored a season-high 28 points in his first visit to the United Center on Jan. 19.
Garland had a rough start, hitting 2 of 12 shots in the first half, but came back to finish with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, while rookie Evan Mobley had 17 points.
"I thought Ayo did a much better job than I did (on Garland)," Caruso said. "We tried to put me on in the second half and I got a little fatigued. My feet were a little bit in mud. Ayo in that first half was doing a good job of making everything tough, kind of shutting off his water."
Dosunmu was asked after the game if Caruso's presence had as much of an effect on his teammates at it appeared in the box score.
"He had an amazing impact, just having another competitor out there, another guy who's willing to do the little things, another leader," Dosunmu said. "All of those things help and he impacted everybody tonight.
"He makes it easier for a lot of us, especially me sometimes when we're in pick-and-rolls we're comfortable enough to call the switch out. He's a veteran, he has won, he's played in those higher-level games. When you have that, that boosts the morale defensively, it gives energy and helps the team overall."
This was one of those games where the Bulls seem to be in control and cruising to victory, but are always a few lapses away from being in danger. It looked like the Cavs might be ready for a run when a Darius Garland jumper cut the lead to 9 with seven minutes left.
But the Bulls had a solid response when Dosunmu and Vucevic hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and the defense did the rest.
"It's not necessarily something you can have another player do," Donovan said of Caruso. "Just the disruption, his IQ to see things happening as they're developing, being able to jump into passing lanes and recognize and read. We become obviously disruptive."
The Bulls (41-26) will keep their bags packed for the rest of the month. They have a three-game Western swing with stops in Sacramento, Utah and Phoenix next week. Then there's a five-game road swing while the NCAA's Midwest regional finals are at the UC.
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