Darius Garland poured in 28 points and buried six three-pointers to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 135–113 win over the short-handed Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night at Rocket Arena.
With the victory, Cleveland improved to 63–16 and secured the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2010.
The Cavaliers also tied the second-best regular season record in franchise history, one game behind the 2008–09 team that went 66–16.
Garland’s second-quarter scoring outburst helped turn a close game into a rout, as the point guard made four threes in an eight-minute span to fuel a 41–21 run.
Cleveland hit 10 triples in the second quarter alone and outscored Chicago 43–24 in the frame to take an 18-point halftime lead.
Evan Mobley added 21 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, anchoring the frontcourt while Donovan Mitchell sat out with a sprained ankle.
Cleveland shot 51.0% from the field and went 25-of-50 from beyond the arc, posting its highest three-point percentage in a game since February.
Ty Jerome provided a major boost off the bench with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while De’Andre Hunter chipped in 17 points and four assists.
Five Cavaliers reached double figures, including Jarrett Allen, who added 12 points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes.
The Cavaliers outrebounded the Bulls 45–45 but dominated second-chance points and transition opportunities, scoring 17 fast-break points to Chicago’s four.
Chicago fell to 36–43 but remained tied with Miami for the ninth seed in the East.
The Bulls were without several key players, including Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, Josh Giddey, and Lonzo Ball.
Patrick Williams stepped up in the absence of Chicago’s regular starters, scoring a season-high 21 points and connecting on 5-of-6 from deep.
Rookie forward Matas Buzelis added 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Talen Horton-Tucker contributed 17 off the bench.
Jalen Smith recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards, but Chicago’s defense allowed Cleveland to shoot 50% from three-point range.
The Bulls committed 20 turnovers and allowed 35 assists, struggling to rotate effectively on the perimeter throughout the night.
Cleveland now owns the best record in the East and trails only the Oklahoma City Thunder league-wide heading into the final three games of the season.
