Hurl Bruce
Logmaster
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2005
- Messages
- 14,718
- Reaction score
- 26,061
- Points
- 135
Cleveland Cavaliers (16-9) hosting Chicago Bulls (12-14)
Monday, December 26, 2005
Time: 7:00pm ET
TV: NBA-TV, FSN-OH
Radio: WTAM 1100
Location: Quicken Loans Arena
Head Coaches
Mike Brown / Scott Skiles
Probable Staters
Eric Snow / Chris Duhon
Larry Hughes / Kirk Hinrich
LeBron James / Luol Deng
Drew Gooden / Andres Nocioni
Zydrunas Ilgauskas / Mike Sweetney
Cleveland Cavaliers Bench
Damon Jones / Luke Jackson / Ira Newble / Donyell Marshall / Alan Henderson
Chicago Bulls Bench
Jannero Pargo / Ben Gordon / Darius Songaila / Tyson Chandler
Keys to the game
* Keep riding the streak: The Cavaliers have won 5 straight going into this game and look to extend the league's second longest current streak.
* Guard the perimeter: Chicago lacks any real inside presence, so the Cavaliers must concentrate on correcting their weak perimeter defense. The Cavaliers must force the Bulls to take the ball to the hoop or work the ball into Sweetney. If Gordon and Heinrich get it going, then the game could be tough.
* Inside out: The Cavaliers should take advantage of their size and pound the ball into Z and Drew. Z has been playing very well of late and should be able to get easy looks or draw plenty of fouls. This should also open things up for Marshal, Jones and the rest of the Cavaliers.
* Keep focused: The Cavaliers have recently let teams go on some serious runs to get back into games or take the lead. There was no reason to have a close game against the Pacers the other night, but the team's lack of focus and sustained effort allowed the game to be close. The Cavaliers will have to play hard for all 24 seconds of each possession because Scott Skiles will have his Bulls doing just that.
Final Thought
The Cavaliers recently went up to Chicago and beat them on Chicago's home court. The Bulls would like nothing better than to return the favor. The Cavaliers, however, will be very tough to beat on their home floor. They sport the NBA's 3rd best home record. As the defensive effort has increased, the team's winning streak has grown. Cleveland should continue their winning ways as the Bulls cannot handle the Cavaliers' inside-outside attack. Expect Z to have a good game and Lebron continue to shine.
Cleveland beats Chicago 98-88.
Last edited: