CHICAGO (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 26 points, Dwyane Wade had 24 and the Chicago Bulls beat LeBron James and the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers 111-105 on Friday night.
Taj Gibson added a season-high 23 points and 11 rebounds for Chicago. Rajon Rondo had 15 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds as the balanced Bulls handed the Cavaliers their third straight loss.
James showed up in a Cubs uniform to honor a World Series bet with his buddy Wade, then scored 27 points. Kyrie Irving added 20 points and eight assists, but the Cavaliers matched their longest losing streak in a year.
Chicago dominated Cleveland 78-60 in the paint and came out on top despite hitting shooting 3 of 18 on 3-pointers.
The Bulls used a strong third quarter to turn a one-point halftime deficit into an 88-80 lead. And they withstood several pushes in the fourth to knock off the defending NBA champions.
Kevin Love nailed a 3 to cut the lead to 103-99 with about 4 minutes left, but the Bulls hung on.
Wade drove for a layup to make it 107-101 with 2:39 remaining. Nikola Mirotic then stole the ball from James, leading to a putback basket for Wade.
Mirotic came up with another big play when he blocked a 3 by Irving with 1:11 left to cause a shot-clock violation.
James clearly wasn't thrilled about having to wear a Cubs uniform after he rooted hard for his hometown Cleveland Indians in the World Series. But he was a man of his word, honoring the wager he made with Wade, his good friend and former Miami Heat teammate.
James wore a No. 23 Cubs jersey with "James" stitched across the back, a Cubs hat partially covered by a Cubbie-blue hoodie, pinstripe pants and long baseball socks. James' uniform even had the 2016 World Series champions shoulder patch.
Wade was waiting for James when he arrived at the arena and took a picture of his former teammate. They also hugged before tipoff and had some playful moments during the game.
James patted Wade on the backside as they ran down the court together after he hit a tough fadeaway jumper over his former teammate in the third quarter. Wade returned the favor after burying a 3 in James' face moments later.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: G/F Mike Dunleavy Jr. missed his second consecutive game because of a concussion.
Bulls: With the Bulls playing four times in five days, coach Fred Hoiberg said Wade won't travel to Dallas for Saturday's game. ... Hoiberg said F Doug McDermott (concussion) could be cleared for contact shortly and might practice with the D-League's Windy City Bulls.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Visit Atlantic Division leader Toronto on Monday.
Bulls: Visit Dallas on Saturday.
