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Bulls at Cavaliers: Chicago's two-game rebound meets Cleveland's depth test

The Bulls have followed an eight-game skid with wins on consecutive nights. Cleveland beat Dallas with its usual starters sidelined. Monday's matchup depends in part on who is cleared to play.

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Glass exterior of Cleveland’s Rocket Arena on a snowy night, with the venue’s former name visible.
Cleveland’s Rocket Arena, photographed in 2022 under its former name. File image resized under CC BY 2.0. © Erik Drost / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0; resized)

Saturday gave both teams a result that their records alone cannot explain. Chicago, now 3-9, beat Minnesota 117-106 while missing several frontcourt players. Cleveland moved to 7-7 by defeating Dallas 127-117 with an eight-man rotation and none of its usual starters. They meet Monday at Rocket Arena, with the next injury report likely to change the picture for both sides.

  • Competition: 2026-27 NBA regular season.
  • Matchup: Chicago Bulls (3-9) at Cleveland Cavaliers (7-7); records through Saturday, November 14.
  • Venue: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio; the Cavaliers are at home.
  • Tipoff: Monday, November 16, 7:00 p.m. EST in Cleveland; Tuesday, November 17, 00:00 UTC.

Two wins have given Chicago a different outlook

Norman Powell scored 33 points, including nine in overtime, as the Bulls beat Atlanta 125-117 on Friday and ended an eight-game losing streak. Josh Giddey supplied 14 assists. Chicago then won 117-106 in Minnesota on Saturday, stopping the Timberwolves' five-game run. Powell had 23 points; Matas Buzelis added 18 points and nine rebounds.

Chicago achieved the second win without Nic Claxton or Jalen Smith. Claxton was out under left hamstring injury management and Smith with a left finger sprain; Caleb Wilson and Tobe Awaka were also unavailable for that game. The Bulls found enough scoring and rebounding to win despite a thinner frontcourt. Those Saturday designations do not decide who can play in Cleveland. No game-specific report had been filed for Monday as of early Sunday.

Powell's back-to-back scoring nights make him the clearest recent offensive reference. Buzelis gives Chicago size and an outside option, while Giddey's passing can keep the ball moving when a defense loads up on Powell. The Bulls are still 3-9, but their last two games offer something more useful than a claim of sudden transformation: they have closed out tight stretches and won away from home with a shortened group.

Cleveland's reserves seized their chance

The Cavaliers lost 133-121 at Miami on Friday before returning home to face Dallas. Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Jarrett Allen did not play Saturday; Evan Mobley was out with a left big toe sprain. Other players were also listed as unavailable. Cleveland used eight players and still won by ten.

Tyrese Proctor filled the playmaking gap with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Thomas Bryant and Jaylon Tyson also took on larger roles. The performance showed that Cleveland can create offense without its first-choice lineup for a night. It does not mean coach Kenny Atkinson will use that lineup again Monday, or that any of the absent starters are ready to return. Sunday provides a day off before the Bulls arrive.

The matchup changes shape with those decisions. A return for Mitchell and Harden would give Chicago two established ball handlers to contain. If Cleveland again needs Proctor to run the offense, his ability to reach the paint and find teammates becomes central. At the other end, Chicago's depleted frontcourt on Saturday made its rebounding effort especially important. Cleveland will want to finish defensive possessions before Powell and Buzelis can get second chances.

Player availability for Monday

The NBA injury report issued at 2:15 a.m. EST on Sunday, November 15, showed neither team had submitted a report for Bulls-Cavaliers. The details below describe Saturday's games. They are context, not confirmed Monday designations.

Chicago Bulls

  • Nic Claxton: out Saturday under left hamstring injury management; Monday status unannounced.
  • Jalen Smith: out Saturday with a left finger sprain; Monday status unannounced.
  • Caleb Wilson and Tobe Awaka: out Saturday with a right hand fracture and disc irritation, respectively; no game-specific Monday designation yet.
  • Norman Powell: cleared to play Saturday after being questionable because of his back and scored 23; his status for Cleveland has not been confirmed in a Monday report.

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Jarrett Allen: out Saturday with a knee contusion/injury management, calf tightness and knee injury management, respectively. Their status against Chicago has not been announced.
  • Evan Mobley: out Saturday with a left big toe sprain; no confirmed return date for this game.
  • Sam Merrill, Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Peyton Watson: also listed out Saturday with physical issues; no designation yet for the Bulls game.

How to watch Bulls-Cavaliers

  • Venue: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio.
  • Date and time: Monday, November 16, 7:00 p.m. EST; broadcast coverage may begin earlier.

United States

  • Tipoff: Monday, 7:00 p.m. EST / 4:00 p.m. PST.
  • Chicago market: the Bulls' official schedule lists CHSN on television and the CHSN App for this game.
  • Cleveland market: the Cavaliers' official schedule lists DAZN-CLE. Access and availability are market-specific; neither team schedule lists a national telecast for this matchup.

Australia

  • Tipoff: Tuesday, November 17, 11:00 a.m. AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne / 10:00 a.m. AEST in Brisbane / 8:00 a.m. AWST in Perth.
  • TV and streaming: an Australian broadcast for this specific game has not yet been announced.

United Kingdom

  • Tipoff: Tuesday, November 17, 12:00 a.m. GMT.
  • TV and streaming: a UK broadcast for this specific game has not yet been announced.

Monday will show whether Chicago can extend its brief recovery and whether Cleveland's depth can carry over from Saturday. The first question is which players each team will actually have.