These are the games coach Bill Cartwright says the Bulls are supposed to win. These are the games in which progress can be measured.
The Bulls faced a Cleveland team playing its second road game in as many nights Saturday, the same Cleveland team that is tied with Denver for fewest victories in the league.
The Bulls took advantage, but they barely erased the stench from Thursday’s dismal performance against Washington with a nail-biting 85-79 victory before a crowd of 21,236 at the United Center.
Perhaps this is where the progress is measured. The Bulls, who lost Jay Williams to a sprained left ankle, weren’t happy afterward.
They blew a 20-point lead, needing back-to-back late baskets from Tyson Chandler and a clutch baseline jumper from Jalen Rose with 42.1 seconds remaining to hang on.
“We have to have higher expectations,” Cartwright said. “We have to grow, sooner rather than later.”
Rose shook off a stomach virus and fever to play 44 minutes and led the Bulls with 19 points and eight assists. He also harassed Ricky Davis, Cleveland’s leading scorer, into a 4-for-18 shooting night.
“What Jalen showed was leadership,” Cartwright said.
Cleveland ripped off a 19-2 fourth-quarter run that was aided by five Bulls turnovers to take a 74-73 lead with 3:47 remaining, its first since leading 7-4.
But Chandler, impressive with 16 points and seven rebounds, drained an 8-footer. After Davis hit two free throws for Cleveland, Chandler scored on a nifty reverse layup with 2:45 remaining to give the Bulls the lead for good.
“As of late, I haven’t even been in the games in those situations,” Chandler said. “Since I was in there, I wanted to make a point.”
Cleveland, paced by Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ 27 points, trailed 79-77 and had a chance to tie but missed three shots on one possession.
Rose followed with his clutch 12-foot baseline jumper, his only second-half field goal in nine attempts.
Bad news came early when Williams sprained his left ankle 4:11 after tipoff and didn’t return. X-rays proved negative, but Williams watched the second half in street clothes, received treatment after the game and is day-to-day.
Williams incurred the injury when he landed on Darius Miles’ foot after a spectacular block.
“It’s still hurting,” Williams said. “I tried to play but had a hard time walking down the hallway. I couldn’t imagine running.”
In Williams’ absence, Jamal Crawford played a career-high 40 minutes and scored five points. He struggled with his shot, going 2-for-8, and also committed seven turnovers. Crawford contributed seven assists and four rebounds.
“I didn’t play well,” Crawford said. “I’m just glad we won.”
Following a season-long trend, the Bulls won a game that they began strongly. The Bulls allowed a season-low 33 first-half points and attacked the basket early.
Chandler began the game with back-to-back alley-oop dunks before picking up two quick fouls and ceding to Eddy Curry, who awoke from a sluggish stretch with six points and three rebounds in 11 first-half minutes. Curry didn’t play in the second half.
