The Chicago Bulls knocked off the shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1, and are now looking to take total control of this series with their second straight road victory. Can they do just that, or will the Cavs find a way to even the series?
Projected Starting Lineups
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers (53-29)
G Kyrie Irving – 21.7 ppg, 5.2 apg
G Iman Shumpert – 7.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg
F LeBron James – 25.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 7.4 apg
F Tristan Thompson – 7.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg
C Timofey Mozgov– 10.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg
(3) Chicago Bulls (50-32)
G Derrick Rose – 17.7 ppg, 4.9 apg
G Jimmy Butler – 20.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg
F Mike Dunleavy – 9.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg
F Pau Gasol – 18.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg
C Joakim Noah – 7.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 4.7 apg
What to watch for:
LeBron James' aggressiveness
James started Game 1 looking to get his teammates involved, hoping to get some role players going that they needed to play well. However, he totally took himself out of the offensive game in the process, scoring 19 points on 9/22 shooting. It became clear that the Cavs are going to have to rely on James and Kyrie Irving to produce most of their offense, so look for LeBron to try and take over right from the opening tip.
Will Cleveland's defense improve?
Chicago was able to get 28 uncontested shots while running their halfcourt offense in Game 1, and they were able to knock down 22 of them. Whether they were open because of great play design or lackluster defense doesn't matter - that number is WAY too high from a Cleveland perspective. They need to find some way to contest almost every shot the Bulls take if they want to win this game.
Prediction: Cavs win 98-94
I fully expect LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to have big games tonight as the Cavs can't lose the first two games of the series at home and still realistically expect to win the series. That added level of desperation will lead to increased intensity on the court, giving Cleveland the extra oomph they need to get over the top.
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