For the first time since 2009, the Cleveland Cavaliers are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals after defeating the Chicago Bulls, 94-73, on Thursday night to win the series 4-2.
Once LeBron James nailed that dagger of a game-winning shot in Game 4, the Bulls never really recovered. Whether it was the Bulls’ inconsistent offense or a Cavaliers defense that emerged late, Chicago was dominated for much of the last 96 minutes of the series.
James only registered 15 points on 7-of-23 shooting, but his damage was done in their previous visit to The Windy City. He also pulled down nine boards and dished out 11 assists.
But the stunning development of this game was how the Cavaliers responded after Kyrie Irving left the game with nine minutes left in the second quarter with a left leg injury after stepping on Tristan Thompson’s foot. Tied at 35 when Irving left for the locker room, the Cavaliers found instant offense from Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and James Jones along with the relentless board work of Thompson — who finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds.
When the buzzer sounded for halftime, the Cavaliers had a 58-44 lead. Cleveland’s determination with Irving out and James struggling through a spotty shooting night showed a maturity some didn’t expect from a team with such little playoff experience.
In the second half, it was stunningly the Matthew Dellavedova show. The former rugby player from Australia took over as both teams slugged through a brutal start to the second half, combining for one basket in the first 21 combined shots. But Dellavedova delivered 16 of his team-high 19 points in the second half as the Cavaliers pulled away to a lead that eventually reached 24 points in the fourth quarter.
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