(Sports Network) - The Chicago Bulls will try to avoid falling in a 2-0 series hole when they face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers tonight in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Quicken Loans Arena.
8:00 P.M.: Bulls Will Look To Steal Game 2 From Cavs And Avoid 2-0 Series Deficit
Cleveland took a 1-0 series edge on Saturday when LeBron James scored 24 points and got plenty of help in a well-rounded opening performance, as the Cavaliers began their quest for an NBA Championship with a 96-83 win over Chicago in Game 1.
James added six rebounds, five assists and four blocks and was buoyed by double-double outings from both Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison. Williams scored 19 points and handed out 10 assists, while Jamison grabbed 10 boards and recorded 15 points.
“The playoffs is all about emotion, executing offensively and defensively,” James said. “You’ve got to see (Chicago) four times at least, so you’re not going to like the guy in front of you. You’re not going to like them, and they’re not going to like us.”
Shaquille O'Neal, who hadn't played since late February due to a thumb injury, checked in with a dozen points, and Anderson Varejao posted a game-high 15 rebounds and added eight points for the Cavs, who were the NBA's best team during the regular season at 61-21. Cleveland was even better at home, going 35-6 at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Cavs had the league’s best record entering last year’s playoffs as well but tasted bitter defeat in a six-game series loss to Orlando in the conference finals.
Chicago's Derrick Rose had 28 points and 10 assists but accounted for seven turnovers. Luol Deng made just 5-of-15 attempts from the field to finish behind Rose with 12 points for the eighth-seeded Bulls, who ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak to narrowly beat out Toronto for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.
“I just wanted to be aggressive the whole game, keep them on their heels,” Rose said. “(I was) shooting my regular shots, and some were falling and some weren’t.”
As a seven seed last year, Chicago took then-defending champion Boston to a Game 7 in the first round before falling.
Chicago and Cleveland split a four-game regular season series this year but the last Bulls win came when the Cavs had shut it down and were resting James.
Since the NBA changed its playoff format in 1984, there have only been three occasions when a No. 8 seed has shocked a No. 1 and its only happened once in the Eastern Conference when New York stunned Miami in a five-game set back in 1999. The last time an eight topped a No. 1 was in 2007 when Golden State upended Dallas in 2007.
These two Central Division rivals were regular postseason opponents during the Michael Jordan-era with the Bulls taking five straight series between 1987-88 and 1993-94.
Game 3 of the best-of-seven set is scheduled for Thursday night at the United Center in Chicago.
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