Windhorst:
Bulls have some things to build on for Game 2: Windhorst Beat Blog
By Brian Windhorst, The Plain Dealer
April 17, 2010, 8:30PM
UPDATED: 8:30 p.m.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Thoughts following the Cavs' 96-83 Game 1 victory over the Chicago Bulls:
• Whenever a team falls behind in a series it is routine to look for positives, especially when you are the underdog. The Bulls, despite never really being in Game 1, will not have to search the game film for them. For a team being given no chance in this series, they probably have reason to even be mildly cheerful for Game 2.
Why?
1. The Bulls outscored the Cavs over the final THREE quarters. Only by a point, yes, but it wasn't like they made it all up in junk time in the final three minutes.
2. For all the rebounding issues the Bulls had against the Cavs' huge front line, the Bulls actually won the rebound battle in the second half.
3. By packing the paint and daring the Cavs to shoot, the Bulls held the Cavs to 41 percent shooting in the second half. It may not be a good idea to leave a good 3-point shooting team with that many open looks, but it is a pretty good idea against the Cavs, who often just quit running offense.
4. Derrick Rose seemingly had a great game. But really he has a lot he can improve on. He took 28 shots, which is probably too many considering how the Cavs were throwing bodies at him. He dodged contact, getting to the line just once. And he had seven turnovers, a number he can cut down with ease with a little more concentration.
5. Luol Deng didn't give the Bulls much of anything. He was 5-of-15 and had no assists and was just 2-of-5 at the foul line.
Are the Bulls going to turn this series around? Probably not. But they have a fair chance to win a game and the way they played down the stretch was proof of that.
• It is a bizzare circumstance for a player who started 73 games to barely get in the first playoff game. That is the case for J.J. Hickson. While Mike Brown probably should look for a chance to play Hickson, it is hard to argue after seeing the way the Cavs' bigs dominated in this game. Trust that Hickson will be needed and he will play. Depending on the opponent, he might play a lot. But take this opportunity to consider that the Cavs won 61 games using what amounts to a fill-in starter in Hickson for 73 of the games.
• If it looked like the Bulls weren't even covering Anthony Parker, they weren't. Their scouting report is telling them that he is a player you can risk not guarding. Earlier in the season when he was leading the NBA in 3-point shooting, that would have been insane. But it has been a long time since that was the case. Parker shot just 23-of-74 (31 percent) on 3-pointers over the last 22 games of the season. In this one he was 1-of-6. He will continue to get those looks until he makes the Bulls regret it.
• Funny moment in the second half when Shaquille O'Neal went into the stands and picked up a fan like a rag doll. Only he wasn't a fan, he was part owner Nate Forbes. Forbes is a developer who is based in Michigan and was sitting next to Jeff Cohen, a Michigan-based builder. Along with Dan Gilbert, a mortgage man (are you seeing how these guys hooked up and, oh, I don't know, could work together on a casino project?), these are the three men who truly serve as the Cavs' ownership group. There are other miniority owners, including a group from China, and Gordon Gund but these three men make a lot of the decisions. Only Forbes and Cohen shun the spotlight, until today.
Recap:
The Cavaliers were brilliant for about 30 minutes Saturday and merely adequate the rest of the way, but that was plenty to provide a successful start to their NBA title quest on Saturday.
• The Bulls finished with something to build on for Game 2. They were able to get the Cavs to settle for jumpers for most of the second half and it allowed them to hold the score down.
The Cavaliers' defense did a strong job on most of the Bulls Saturday. Forward Luol Deng managed just 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting, often getting a double-team look from Delonte West and Mo Williams.
• Shaquille O'Neal seemed to run out of gas a bit after he hit the 20-minute mark on the court. That was expected after he had not played for nearly two months. Cavs coach Mike Brown had planned to play him at least 28 minutes, but decided to pull him after 24 as O'Neal started slowing down. O'Neal's minutes will likely edge up as the games go on.
• LeBron James did not have a prolific game by his standards and was not much of a force in the second half. He scored just five points in the fourth quarter and 10 points in the second half. The Cavs didn't need him as much after getting strong games from Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams and O'Neal, among others.