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The Cleveland Cavaliers continued their remarkable start to the season with a 119-113 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, extending their unbeaten streak to 12-0. This marks the Cavaliers' best start in eight years and makes them only the eighth team in NBA history to open a season with 12 straight wins.
Donovan Mitchell had a standout performance, scoring a season-high 36 points, while Darius Garland contributed 17 points and Evan Mobley added 15 points and 11 rebounds. Cleveland reached 110 points for the 11th time this season. Their 12-0 record is the best start since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who began their campaign 24-0, eventually finishing with a 73-9 record, though they lost in the NBA Finals to the Cavaliers.
“It’s great to be part of history. 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," Mitchell said.
With 24 seconds remaining, Garland scored a key layup, and Mitchell sealed the win with two free throws.
Zach LaVine led Chicago with 26 points, and both Coby White and Nikola Vucevic added 20 points. Despite holding a nine-point lead late in the third quarter, the Bulls faltered as Cleveland mounted a comeback for the second straight game.
Five of the seven previous teams to start 12-0 went on to reach the NBA Finals.
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson, in his first season with the team, praised the focus and determination of his players. “This group is locked in. 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.”
Mobley, reflecting on the team's progress from last season's Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Boston Celtics, credited Atkinson for the changes that have helped propel the Cavaliers to this historic start.
