Chicago lost two out of the last three matches. Billy Donovan’s team unexpectedly suffered a defeat on their home court on February 28 against one of the main underdogs of the championship, “Detroit,” with a score of 95-105. The best among the losers was Nikola Vucevic, who scored 25 points, made ten rebounds, and two assists. DeMar DeRozan also contributed 25 points. Andre Drummond secured another double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. The “Bulls” (27 wins and 31 losses) are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The team’s immediate substitute, Patrick Williams, is currently sidelined.
Cleveland lost two out of the last four matches. On February 28, Jay B. Bickerstaff’s team defeated “Dallas” on their home court with a score of 121-119, thanks to Max Strus’s game-winning shot from the center of the court. The 27-year-old forward, in the final minutes of the last quarter, first converted four out of four three-pointers in a minute, and then secured the victory for his team in the last second—from almost 18 meters away from the basket. Strus scored a total of 21 points. Donovan Mitchell was the top scorer with 31 points. “Cavaliers” (38 wins and 19 losses) hold the second position in the East. “Cleveland” headed to Illinois with a full lineup.
