Chicago @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 18, 2020 ) Cleveland 116, Chicago 118

Zach LaVine just tormented Cleveland last Saturday and he looks to do so again when the Chicago Bulls visit the Cavaliers this Saturday. LaVine scored 21 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter of the recent meeting as the Bulls rallied from a 15-point, final-quarter deficit to post a 118-116 victory.

LaVine, a contender for an All-Star Game backup guard spot, is playing well against all comers with 13 consecutive 20-point outings, including scoring 21 in Friday's 98-81 home loss to the Sacramento Kings. His success hasn't translated victories as the Bulls are 13 games below .500 but stand just three games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers have dropped six straight games and 11 of their past 13, including double-digit setbacks against the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards to start a three-game homestand. "Games like (Washington) and the last game against the Knicks, we feel like those are teams we should have a very good chance to compete with and win," Cleveland power forward Kevin Love told reporters.

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS Chicago, FS Ohio

ABOUT THE BULLS (17-30): Power forward Lauri Markkanen will be sidelined for four to six weeks after an MRI exam revealed he has a stress reaction in his right pelvis. Markkanen, who is averaging 15 points and 6.5 rebounds in 46 games, lobbied to keep playing through the injury, which was discovered after the third-year pro informed the team's medical staff of soreness in the area. "We're always gonna look out for the best interest of our guy," Bulls coach Jim Boylen told reporters before Friday's game. "Lauri had a goal to play 82 games and he fought through the oblique and he fought through the ankle. We felt those were things that were acceptable to fight through. This is not something that we are gonna have him fight through."

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (12-33): Rumors are circulating that Love and center Tristan Thompson are on the trading block with the squad far out of the playoff race and Thompson understands the business side of the equation. "You always have high expectations for your team but the reality is that we're at where we're at," Thompson told reporters. "We have to keep plugging away, keep pushing through. That's all we can do. We can't feel sorry for ourselves, no one's going to feel sorry for us." Second-year point guard Collin Sexton has been a major bright spot and he scored 29 points in Thursday's 124-112 loss to the Wizards for his fifth 25-point outing in the past seven games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. LaVine scored just 16 points in the first meeting when the Cavaliers notched a 117-111 home victory on Oct. 30.

2. Chicago rookie G Coby White was 2-of-9 shooting against Sacramento and is 9-of-29 over the past three games.

3. Cleveland PF Larry Nance Jr. tied his career high with 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting against Washington and has made 24-of-34 shots over the past four games.

PREDICTION: Cavaliers 107, Bulls 104