The Cleveland Cavaliers became just the eighth team in NBA history to start a season 12-0 after earning a hard fought 119-113 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
In a back and forth game in Chicago, the Bulls opened up a nine-point lead with 4:26 remaining in the third quarter, before the Cavaliers went on a run to go ahead by three points entering the fourth.
The Bulls managed to tie the scores at 106-106, but Cleveland outscored its opponent down the stretch to cement its place in an exclusive NBA group.
It’s the best start to an NBA season since the record-breaking 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who set league records with a 24-0 start and a 73-9 campaign.
Five of the last seven teams to start the season 12-0 have gone on to reach the NBA Finals, according to ESPN.
The Cavaliers’ 9-0 start to the season was already the best in franchise history.
“It’s great to be part of history,” Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters after the game, per ESPN. “I never want to take those things for granted along the road when we’re doing it in various ways.
“We’re doing it in ways where we are blowing out teams. We’re winning from behind. We’re winning close games. And it’s somebody different every night leading the charge. It’s always a group effort.”
It’s the second straight game the Cavaliers have fought back from behind, clawing back a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
Mitchell had a game-high and season-high 36 points in the victory over the Bulls, including seven three-pointers, to go with eight rebounds and four steals.
Darius Garland chipped in with another 17 points for the Cavs, while Evan Mobley recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
“This group is locked in,” Cleveland’s first-year head coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters. “I do think there’s (been) questions about this group, whether they can get to the next level, can they make the next step?
“So, I think when you have that, you have that chip (on your shoulder), you focus even more.
“There’s another level of concentration, another level of focus, another level of detail that these guys use to carry us to 12-0 so far.”
For the Bulls, Zach LaVine had a team-high 26 points, while Coby White and Nikola Vučević had 20 each.
The Cavaliers are now 2.5 clear of the 9-2 Boston Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference, while the Bulls fall to 4-7 and sit in ninth.
