Bulls have edge on Cavaliers if depth becomes X-factor in series
CHICAGO — Derrick Rose might have boiled Game 3 down to one shining moment, but the injuries inherent in playoff basketball could have huge ramifications for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls as the series progresses.
The lane became prime real estate on Friday night, worthy of hard fouls and hurt feelings. That the Bulls won 99-96 to take a 2-1 advantage shouldn't come as a surprise. Toughness and gamesmanship are all but built into the their DNA.
"I woke up with aches I didn't even know I had," said Taj Gibson, still reveling in the glowing arc of Rose's banked three-point shot. In 23 minutes, Gibson had nine points and nine rebounds. His last board came off a shocking missed layup from LeBron James with the Bulls leading 94-93. Gibson was then fouled, forcing two of the biggest free throws of his career.
"My heart was pounding. I'm real when it comes to this stuff," Gibson said from the Bulls' locker room on Friday night. "My heart was pounding. The crowd was cheering for me, but I'm like 'Guys, please just be quiet, please just give me a chance.' "
He hit them both. J.R. Smith answered with a retaliatory three-pointer, setting up Rose's miraculous three-point sequence.
At this stage of the Eastern Conference semifinals, neither team is optimally healthy. The Cavs already were without Kevin Love and had questions about whether their best perimeter defender (Iman Shumpert) could play in Game 3 because of a lingering groin injury. Those doubts were mildly abated, as he was the most effective defender on Rose, which wasn't saying all that much.
Cavs guard Kyrie Irving revealed after the game that he was playing with a strained right foot. He tweaked it on a first-quarter drive and limped throughout the ensuing three periods. Irving, who'd averaged 25.5 points and 4.5 assists throughout the first two games, was noticeably absent during stretches and admitted he played as a "decoy" on Friday. He finished just 3-for-13 with no assists.
"(Friday) night was just one of those nights where there was no lift or anything that I had at the basket," Irving said. "Whether it's the injury, mental fatigue, physical fatigue, it's just inches to the left, inches to the right. Shots you're used to making. It's one of those nights and you just have to forget about it."
Irving said he tried concealing the injury from the Bulls, but it was readily apparent while he hid in the corner during crucial second-half sets.
"That's Basketball 101 when you start playing," Iriving said. "You're trying not to limp, you're trying not to let anyone know. But now we're at the highest level. There are no secrets. It's just part of the game."
The Bulls will no doubt take their 2-1 home-court advantage, but they hardly came away unscathed. A sore hamstring forced Pau Gasol out with 6:49 left in the third quarter, and he wouldn't return. An MRI on Saturday revealed a strain, and his status is undetermined for Game 4.
"We'll see how he feels (Sunday)," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.
But such is the nature of playoff basketball. The stakes get higher, the fouls get harder and the effort increases. Guys inevitably get hurt. But a strange thing happened to the Bulls as a result of the Gasol injury. Thibodeau used a small-ball lineup of Gibson at center and Mike Dunleavy at power forward and paired them with guards Rose, Jimmy Butler and Kirk Hinrich. Forward Nikola Mirotic was subbed intermittently throughout the second half as well while Thibodeau adjusted to Gasol's injury and Joakim Noah's ineffectiveness on offense.
If depth becomes the X-factor, the Bulls no doubt own the advantage. That hasn't been the case in recent years.
Thibodeau essentially found an untapped combination that gave the Cavs fits. Cleveland shot 35% in the second half, including 7-for-23 on two-point attempts. It was a defensive adjustment born of necessity, but it ultimately unlocked the offense. Without Gasol or Noah inside, Rose and Butler were free to drive and distribute. Together, they scored 41 of the Bulls' 52 second half points. On top of his offense, Butler harassed James into seven turnovers and just 32%.
Not only did James let Butler dictate his offense, but Noah's memorable third-quarter exchange both irritated James and stoked the United Center crowd. James dunked hard on Noah, taunting him after the Cavs took a 56-55 lead. Noah, never one to back down, responded with even harsher words, which signaled the official renewal of their contentious rivalry. James called Noah's words "disrespectful," and Noah sidestepped the issue when pressed postgame. Gibson did no such thing on Saturday.
"Man, we grew up playing basketball, trash talking is in every neighborhood, every project, every city and state. It doesn't matter. It's part of basketball," Gibson said. "Two guys that are great competitors going after it. It's part of the game. This is the NBA, this isn't a bunch of little boys. It's a bunch of grown men."
In terms of aggression, intensity and perhaps trash talking, there will be no dialing back.
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