Recap: Bulls 117, Cavs 99 (Or, There’s Always Next Time)

The Bulls got their third win of the season against the Cavs with ease. Cleveland held on during the first half, but the Bulls blew the game open during the third quarter. They put up 34 points hitting four 3-pointers, while the Cavs managed just 20 points, which put them down 13 to start the final frame.

Jimmy Butler led the Bulls in the third scoring 13 (three 3-pointers). He had 18 for the night and earned a triple-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. During the fourth quarter, the Cavs were unable to make a sustainable run. They went just 3-8 from deep and missed some gimme shots at the rim.

Kyrie Irving led the Cavs with 34 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. He went just 2-10 from 3-point land though. The team had 24 assists and hit 14 3s.

The Bulls were led by Butler, but Dwyane Wade helped too with a near triple-double. He finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and ten assists. As a team, the Bulls made 15 threes, a season high, and had 34 assists. They shot 49.5% from the field.

First Quarter

Offensively, Cavs started the night finding open shooters, even as the shots weren’t falling. Defensively, they covered the Bulls tightly, and Chicago repeatedly took mid-range jumpers.

One of the nicer acts of ball movement came with 7:39 to go. After Iman Shumpert caught the ball around the 3-line, he dribbled in and did a spin move. I was ready to make a pleasestopdribblingshump.com reference, but Shump tossed the ball to Richard Jefferson at the baseline right away. RJ then found Channing Frye for his second 3 of the quarter.

Deep Fryed.#NBAonABC https://t.co/rZUdaIbaJ2

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 26, 2017

Kyrie pushed the ball for much of the quarter. He got seven rebounds and ran whenever he could. He ended up with six coast-to-coast fast break points. With 1:53 to go in the quarter, Kay Felder checked in for Irving. The Cavs were up by six, but that changed immediately, as Felder showed that he might be two years away from being a year away, which is awful because he’s already 21.

In less than two minutes of play Felder was -7, as the Bulls went on a 9-2 run. Felder couldn’t stop Rondo as he marched his way to the rim for four points. The most egregious offense was when Felder actually closed out on Rondo, a terrible shooter, and let him blow by. Always play ten feet off Rondo, everyone knows that. After one the Cavs were up 23-22.

Second Quarter 

Things didn’t start too hot for Cleveland. Bobby Valentine canned a 3 over Derrick Williams, and then a minute later TT had to bail out the Cavs with a turnaround jumper, that actually fell, to beat the shot clock. A few plays later, Felder drove recklessly into the paint and missed a layup. TT bailed the Cavs out again getting the offensive board. He missed the put-back attempt but ripped the ball back from three Bulls and kicked it out to Kyle Korver. Korver drained the 3-pointer. Cleveland’s luck continued throughout the quarter from deep as they hit 6-9. Korver had 3 3s and James Jones went 2-2 from 3-land.

After JJ hit a 3 off a Derrick Williams cross court pass, I couldn’t help thinking “Death, Taxes, and James Jones’ 3s.”

CHAMP. https://t.co/ErbyzIN6r8

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 26, 2017

Unfortunately, the Bulls were hot too. Each time they got below the 3-line with the ball the Cavs scrambled and left someone open behind the arc. Chicago went 5-6 from downtown. Both teams shot above 60% in the quarter.

Kay Felder also had some luck in the quarter. After getting a steal with 7:24 to go, he lost the ball on the break by running into a Bull. TT, the consummate garbage man, picked up the fumbled ball and tossed it back to Felder. Derrick Williams trailed the play and sprinted to the rim at the perfect time to complete a vicious rim rattling slam.

OH MY. https://t.co/PMii79ottn

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 26, 2017

Wade finished the quarter with a rare 3 to put the Bulls up one, 56-55.

Third Quarter

Things started out okay for the Cavs. Kyrie hit a 3-pointer to start and a few plays later he used a TT screen to find Channing behind the arc. The next play Irving used another TT screen to scoot past Butler before he did a right-to-left crossover on Robin Lopez. Lopez was helpless after Irving picked up his dribble to finish on the left side with his right hand.

⚠️CAUTION: @KyrieIrving Crossing ⚠️ https://t.co/xWTi79CFet

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 26, 2017

Irving then dropped a mid-range jumper to give the Cavs a six point lead. Irving’s shot making and play making fizzled after that. He was just 2-5 and routinely dribbled the life out of the ball or took an out of rhythm jumper. The Cavs missed their next seven shots and Dwayne Wade just flat out orchestrated for the Bulls. He assisted on their next five shots to put them up five. Butler then hit two 3s in a row to put them up nine with five minutes to go.

The Cavs just couldn’t stop the Bulls and were outscored 30-11 over the last nine minutes.

Wade even ripped off Kevin Love’s passing skills.

.@DwyaneWade 🏈↗️ @BPortistime pic.twitter.com/njNoR2wBkV

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 26, 2017

The Bulls had 11 assists on 12 shots during their run. Butler had 13 points, but none of them came from isolation play. DeAndre Liggins finished the quarter with a drive and kick to James Jones who…..by now you know what happens when he gets the ball on a kick out. It didn’t matter though. Rondo countered some goofy scoop twenty foot layup that didn’t beat the game clock at first, but did after the refs found out the clock malfunctioned. After 36 minutes, the Bulls led 89-76.

Fourth Quarter

The Cavs didn’t have the discipline to come back. They started the quarter with a moving screen. Then they gave up a Wade jumper. A little later they fouled Cristiano Felicio on a layup. He made it anyways and sank the free throw. It wasn’t pretty. Kyrie didn’t help by going 2-5 and hunting for his own shot. The Cavs as a whole didn’t help themselves giving up three completely open 3s.

Both Korver and Williams seemed to injure themselves on separate fast break plays, but both of them came back and appeared to be fine. The fact that they seemed to be okay made the quarter a win for the Cavs.

Gripes

1. After roughly two quarters of reasonable defense, Cleveland quit trying. The Bulls shot 50% from the field in the second half, while the Cavs shot 35.9%.
2. The Bulls were playing well offensively, but they weren’t necessarily moving the ball amazingly. The Cavs were sagging off of guys to help too much and Chicago just made the simple pass.
3. The Bulls made 15 3s, which is the most they have made all year. At some point, the Cavs should have sold out and just protected the 3-line. I get the strategy of cutting the Bulls off at the rim, but when it wasn’t working Tyronn Lue should have adjusted.
4. Kyrie tried most of the game, but the dumb heat check shots and absurdly long 3s just need to stop. He doesn’t seem to understand that heat check shots, especially long 3s, should come after making at least three shots in a row.
5. Iman Shumpert needs to stop dribbling. He had two turnovers and probably dribbled the ball on just four occasions this game. He also needs to quit with the mid-range one dribble jumper. He’s 39.3% from the mid-range this year, which is below average. He makes just enough to make it seem like he should keep taking them. And, he needs to hit his 3s. 0-4 isn’t going to cut it.
6. Kay Felder isn’t an NBA level guy. He got burned by everyone he covered, and offensively he turns it over way too much. He had four turnovers in about nine minutes tonight. He just runs into guys. Part of his problem is that he dribbles East to West instead of trying to penetrate. He wants guys to break free while he buys time.

Hypes

1. Kyle Korver and James Jones showed up to play. Korver had 14 and went 4-7 from deep. He even drove the ball in for a layup. Jones had 14 and was 4-5 from deep. Jones deserves to get more minutes than he does. The guy plays the spottiest of spot minutes, and every time he steps on the floor he lights it up from downtown.
2. Tristan Thompson didn’t do much getting just five points and nine rebounds. Kyrie didn’t run as many pick and rolls as he usually does with TT, but TT did have five assists. He made some nice passes to find open shooters. If TT can improve as a passer, he could become a lot better pick and roll guy.
3. Derrick Williams was 3-7 for eight points and -21 on the night, but he at least played hard the whole evening. He showed a willingness to push the ball in transition whenever he had a chance too.
4. Cleveland had just 12 turnovers. This game could have been much worse if they didn’t take care of the ball.
5. It would have been nice to get a win with two of the big three sitting, since the Cavs have yet to do that. However, the Bulls are a decent team. Butler is probably better than Irving in the grand scheme of things, and Wade is a heady veteran. The Cavs were starting three players tonight that don’t normally start, while the Bulls had their normal group.
6. The Cavs play the Bucks on Monday.

Kyle Korver now tied for 5th all-time in 3-pointers made. #LetItFly

— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) February 26, 2017