The Bulls trailed 33-30 after the first quarter, but otherwise for a good portion of the evening. They played tough defense and took advantage of full-court opportunities and second chances. Even as the Cavaliers made one final late push, the hosts held their ground and weren't about to let a night of hard work go for naught. They weathered the storm and the fans at the United Center collected their Big Macs.
All five Bulls starters scored in double figures, led by Jimmy Butler's 26 points in his 12th straight game with 20 or more. Wade was the perfect Robin to Butler's Batman with 24. Taj Gibson was perfect from the field in the first half and finished with a season-high 23 points. Rajon Rondo recorded his first triple-double with the Bulls: 15 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
This game was said to be a measuring stick for how the Bulls stack up against the champs. Don't take that at face value though. This was the second of a back-to-back for the Cavs and this was also their third straight defeat. The Bulls just happened to catch Cleveland at the right time.
That said, the Bulls sent a message that it's likely LeBron will have to go through them once again if he wants to get back to the Finals. While he hasn't lost to them yet, they can present a challenge. This time, they have the league's best current player's BFF and he's made a huge difference in changing things for the better. Maybe it won't be enough for LeBron to finally go down, but like this season, such a playoff series can at least be entertaining.
Wade will stay behind while his teammates travel Saturday to play the Dallas Mavericks. As thrilling as the Bulls have been thus far, Dirk's crew is just as disappointing. It doesn't help that he's dealing with a sore Achilles tendon. The Bulls would be happy to take as close to a gift win as possible though.
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