The Cleveland Cavaliers lost 118-117 against the Chicago Bulls at the Rocket Arena in what was their first preseason game of the campaign. However, there were plenty of positives, including De’Andre Hunter, who put up 17 points with 7-9 shooting alongside nine rebounds.
“That looked like Kawhi Leonard to me,” Larry Nance Jr. said about combo forward after the game, claiming that he had not seen Hunter miss a shot since “a few months ago.”
“I tried to shake his hand in the second half to try to get some of that good juju but it didn’t work,” the forward explained, clearly expecting big things from the former Atlanta Hawks man, per News 5’s Camryn Justice.
“Dre is a bucket, he has looked awesome, I am excited for a huge year from him,” he continued.
Hunter played just 18 minutes alongside the Cavaliers’ other starters, with Cleveland returning from the first quarter with an 11-point lead. Matas Buzelis led the Bulls in scoring with 19 points and eight rebounds, going 7-11 overall from the field.
The Cavaliers went to halftime with the score tied, and proceeded to open up a seven-point lead in the third quarter. However, Jevon Carter, who produced 10 points off the bench, gave the Bulls the lead with a late dunk to round off the game. For the Cavs, rookie Tyreese Proctor produced 14 points in 12 minutes off the bench, with Craig Porter Jr. scoring 17.
Since his arrival in February earlier this year, Hunter has played 27 regular-season games, during which he averaged 14.3 points and 4.2 rebounds on almost 60% shooting. His numbers dipped to 11 points and 3.6 rebounds on 52.4% shooting in the postseason, suggesting plenty of room for improvement.
Hunter arrived in Cleveland at the 2025 trade deadline in exchange for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and significant draft capital. The Cavaliers will once again take on the Bulls in their second preseason game on October 9, this time at the United Center.
