Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls edge LeBron, Cavaliers in opener

CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose asked and answered his own question as he faced dozens of media members in front of his Chicago Bulls locker Tuesday night.

"Who knows how good this team can be?" the Bulls guard said. "We could be really good."

If Chicago's season opener is any indication, Rose might be on to something. He scored 18 points and dished out five assists, and the Bulls held on for a 97-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Forward Nikola Mirotic led the Bulls with 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Forward Jimmy Butler added 17 points as Chicago's Fred Hoiberg won his NBA coaching debut five months after the team dismissed Tom Thibodeau.

"It's just one out of 82," Hoiberg said with a grin.

Cleveland forward LeBron James nearly spoiled the first one for Hoiberg. The Cavaliers pulled within two points in the game's final seconds, and James had the ball in his hands for a chance to even the score.

James drove to the paint against Bulls forward Pau Gasol, who used his left hand to swat James' layup attempt out of bounds with 3.6 seconds remaining. Butler knocked away the inbounds pass from Cleveland guard Mo Williams to seal the victory.

Cleveland coach David Blatt said the difference was in the details. The Cavaliers shot 40.4 percent (38 of 94) from the field and made only 58.8 percent (10 of 17) of their free-throw attempts.

The Bulls shot 42.5 percent (37 of 87) from the field and 69.6 percent (16 of 23) from the foul line.

"They're trying to play a little bit faster, a little bit more wide open, but at the end of the day we held them to 97 points and 42 percent from the field," Blatt said. "We gave ourselves a chance to win. We had to knock down a few more shots. We had to knock down a few more foul shots. And, again, we're one play away from maybe winning the game."

James scored 25 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in 36 minutes. Williams scored 19 points and notched seven assists. Forward Kevin Love contributed 18 points and eight rebounds in his first game since dislocating his left shoulder in April.

After the game, James admitted that he struggled with his conditioning during the first and third quarters. He sat out for most of the past two weeks of preseason action after receiving an anti-inflammatory injection for his back.

As for the final play?

"I made myself very small in my finish," said James, who shot 12-for-22. "Pau was having a great game, and he made a great play."

President Barack Obama watched the game from a front-row seat. Obama abandoned his standard suit and tie for a casual dress shirt, and he cheered after several aggressive drives to the rim by Rose.

Hoiberg felt the same way about Rose's approach. Rose wore a protective face mask because of recent surgery to repair a left orbital fracture, but he showed no signs of trepidation.

"It was great to see," Hoiberg said. "For the most part, he was very aggressive driving to the hole."

After trailing for most of the game, Cleveland grabbed an 83-82 lead on a layup by James. The Bulls responded with an 11-2 run to regain a 93-85 edge.

Cleveland closed the third quarter on an 8-0 run to cut Chicago's lead to 71-68. The rally took place without James, who lay on his bothersome back near the Cavaliers' bench and stared toward the rafters. James returned to the game with 9:53 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Chicago led 46-40 at halftime behind Hoiberg's spread offense, which featured 3-point shooting from Mirotic, forward Doug McDermott and forward Tony Snell.

A 17-2 run by the Bulls in the final six minutes of the first quarter gave Chicago a 26-17 lead. Mirotic initiated the rally by hitting back-to-back shots from beyond the arc and converting a three-point play for nine consecutive points.

Bulls center Joakim Noah limped off the court early in the fourth quarter and did not return. Hoiberg said Noah bruised his knee.

NOTES: Security was tight at the United Center as President Obama watched the game from a courtside seat. Obama shook hands with fans as he arrived with 2:40 remaining in the first quarter. ... Cleveland F LeBron James took part in a series of rigorous pregame back stretches. James started despite being sidelined for most of the past two weeks after receiving an anti-inflammatory injection for his back. ... Chicago G Derrick Rose started less than a month after undergoing surgery to repair a left orbital fracture. Rose, 27, wore a protective face mask. ... Cleveland G Kyrie Irving (left knee) and G Iman Shumpert (right wrist) did not play. ... Chicago G/F Mike Dunleavy (back) sat out.