The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls are likely to face off in the second round of the playoffs, and if Sunday's matchup was any indication, Cleveland is going to be very tough to beat.
Cavaliers vs. Bulls final score: 3 things we learned as Cleveland shot their way to a big win
The Cleveland Cavaliers hit 16 three-point shots in their win over the Chicago Bulls.
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Cavaliers led 54-45 at the half thanks to 6-of-13 shooting from deep -- J.R. Smith was 6-of-8, including a running 40-footer to beat the halftime buzzer, and Kyrie Irving made 3-of-3. The Bulls fought to stay close in the second half, but the Cavaliers were too good, and they went on to win 99-94.
LeBron James got his first triple-double of the season with 20 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in the win, but it was the three-point shooting of the Cavaliers that made the difference. Cleveland ended up making 16 shots from behind the arc. J.R. Smith ended up hitting eight on his way to 24 points -- Smith didn't even take a two-point shot all afternoon -- and Irving made four en route to 27 points.
The Bulls, to their credit, didn't fold despite the deadeye shooting of Cleveland. They were within five points with under 2:30 to play, but didn't have enough firepower to steal a win. Mike Dunleavy and Aaron Brooks had 24 and 17 points, respectively. Pau Gasol had a decent game with 12 points and nine rebounds, but the Bulls couldn't match Cleveland's offense.
The loss all but assured that Cleveland will end up with the second seed in the East. The Bulls are one game up on the Toronto Raptors for the third seed.
Here are three things we learned from the game:
1. The Cavaliers are peaking
Cleveland has been playing top-notch basketball since James returned from injury in January -- they're 31-7 since falling under .500 on Jan. 13 -- and they show no signs of slowing down. Their "Big Three" hasn't been as unstoppable as expected, but the additions made at the trade deadline are making a huge difference. Smith was fantastic against Chicago, and so was Timofey Mozgov. His stat line wasn't spectacular -- had 11 points and eight rebounds -- but his presence makes a huge difference against the Bulls front line of Joakim Noah and Gasol.
Sunday's three-point shooting exhibit wont happen every game, but the Cavaliers shooting is certainly a reason they have a shot to make a run deep into the NBA Playoffs.
2. LeBron James is the Cavaliers’ best player, but Kyrie Irving is ridiculous
Irving shot 4-of-5 from deep. That’s impressive in itself, but even more so that he didn’t miss this one:
Or this one:
The Cavaliers’ point guard is a terror on the offensive side of the court. The best part for a player like Irving is that he can pick and choose his moments to take over. On Sunday, Smith, James and Irving took turns leading the Cavaliers’ offense. This team has so many offensive weapons that their star players can afford have an off night. When they’re all playing well, though, Cleveland is going to be very tough to beat.
3. Derrick Rose is coming back
Lisa Salters announced on ESPN’s broadcast that Rose was eyeing a return to the court this week. “They’re discussing it with the doctors, the front office, the coaches,” she said, “But he told me likely sometime this week.” Rose, who has played just 46 games this season, could give the Bulls a huge lift as they enter the playoffs. The former MVP is averaging 18.4 points and five assists per game. If healthy and able, he give an already dangerous Chicago team another option. Pairing him with Mirotic, Gasol and Butler, the Bulls could give the Cavaliers a scare in the playoffs.
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