The Chicago Bulls gave rookie coach Fred Hoiberg a winning debut after escaping with a 97-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night at United Center.

Nikola Mirotic led the way for the Bulls, as he finished with 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field with three three-pointers to go along with nine rebounds.

Derrick Rose also showed no rust despite coming off another layoff, tallying 18 points and five assists, while Jimmy Butler posted 17 points and five boards on top of two assists and two steals.

The Bulls were in control for almost the entire game, taking advantage of the Cavaliers' shaky start. Cleveland managed to tie the game at 71 early in the fourth period and took an 83-82 lead halfway through the final period, but the Bulls unleashed an 11-2 run to take a comfortable 93-85 lead.

But just as when the Bulls looked on their way to winning their season opener, Kevin Love scored eight consecutive points for the Cavaliers to pull within two points, 97-95, with 32 seconds left to play.

Rose missed a 20-foot jumper in the ensuing possession, giving the Cavaliers a chance to tie or win the game. James drove for a game-tying basket, but veteran Pau Gasol denied the four-time Most Valuable Player. Mo Williams then committed a costly turnover, allowing the Bulls to escape with the narrow two-point win.

James finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds on top of five assists, while Love ended up with 18 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists for the Cavaliers. Mo Williams, who started in place of injured superstar Kyrie Irving, posted 19 points and seven assists in his first game since returning to Cleveland in the offseason.

Complete box score and match highlights are available on this link.

In the other Eastern Conference matchup on Tuesday, the Detroit Pistons cruised to a 106-94 road win over the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

Andre Drummond had a huge night, racking up 18 points and 19 rebounds on top of three assists and two blocks, while Marcus Morris also had a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Pistons in scoring with 21 points and four rebounds.

Dennis Schroder led the Hawks with 20 points off the bench, while Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague added 19 and 18 points, respectively. Complete box scores and video highlights can be viewed here.