Tristan Thompson had a front row view of the Chicago Bulls domination inside the paint on Friday night as they beat the Cavs in the Windy City 111-105. The Bulls dedicated themselves to attacking the basket all night long, which yielded 78 of their 111 points during the contest.
As a big man who takes pride in his ability to control the glass and anchor his team defensively, Thompson took it personally when discussing the Cavs struggles with physicality and rebounding this past week in their three-game losing streak. Following the defeat, when Thompson was asked why the Cavs were outrebounded 49-33 on the night and have struggled in this department in this tough run, he claimed the Cavs bigs must do a better job of patrolling the paint.
“It starts with the bigs, myself, Kev and Channing have to do a better job of controlling the glass.”
Thompson understands that this lack of paint domination cannot continue if the Cavs are hoping to turn their form around. He knows it won’t be easy, as the Cavs have to play the very best version of all opponents night in and night out. He articulated it perfectly, saying
“You got to know that being the Champs, you know, you’re going to get every teams best punch, whether it’s Chicago on a Friday or Milwaukee on a Tuesday you’re going to get everyone’s best punch,-36
Look for Thompson to be an integral part of the Cavs attempts to provide a better defensive effort against the Raptors on Monday night. After being a center piece of a championship winning outfit, Thompson knows exactly what it takes, and how important it is to remain an elite defensive team in the hopes of defending their title.