Cavaliers vs. Bulls: Game 4 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 NBA Playoffs

The Cleveland Cavaliers rode a stellar fourth-quarter effort from J.R. Smith before LeBron James broke the collective hearts of Chicago Bulls fans with a buzzer-beating game-winner, tying their Eastern Conference semifinal series at two games apiece with an 86-84 victory Sunday.       

After Derrick Rose knocked down a last-second game-winning three-pointer in Game 3, James returned the favor two days later with a long two-pointer at the buzzer over the outstretched arm of Jimmy Butler.

Here's how it went down, via the official NBA Twitter account:

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio relayed what James told ABC's Lisa Salters after the contest about how he played all game leading up to that final shot, and CBS Sports NBA added more of James' comments:

ESPN Stats & Info noted how the shot puts James in historic company:

It was a poetic moment for James, who had been struggling with his shot all game long before his last-second heroics. He finished the day 10-of-30 from the floor with 25 points, but as usual, he rounded out his contributions with a team-high 14 rebounds and eight assists.    

Speaking to Salters about what he said to his teammates in the huddle leading up to that final shot, James certainly wasn't lacking confidence (h/t Slam Magazine):

It was a sloppy game on both sides, as neither team shot above 40 percent. The Bulls failed to crack the 20-point threshold in both the second and fourth quarters, which allowed Cleveland to take advantage despite its own poor shooting. 

The Cavaliers looked particularly out of sync in the third quarter, scoring just 12 points on 5-of-20 shooting. Cleveland point guard Kyrie Irving was noticeably hobbling up and down the court due to his strained right foot, chipping in only 12 points on 2-of-10 shooting on the day. 

Irving didn't make his first bucket until midway through the second quarter. As Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal noted, that score ended a slump that lasted nearly one full game dating back to Game 3:

With his foot injury robbing him of his trademark burst, Irving wasn't able to distribute like he normally does. He did finally end that assist drought in the first quarter, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

Head coach David Blatt spoke about Irving's performance following the game, per Turner Sports' Rachel Nichols:

"

Sometimes when you’re hurt in one part of your body, a foot or a knee, you have to compensate with the other foot, or knee, and I think he’s got some soreness on the other side as a result. That kid, he’s just playing with so much heart, so much courage. Couldn’t be prouder of him, sacrificing everything he can to help the team.

"

Cleveland held a 49-45 edge at halftime without Irving and James shooting well. However, the collective struggles of the duo finally caught up with the Cavs in the third quarter, and Chicago rode an 11-0 run to take a commanding 68-57 lead. 

The city of Cleveland held its collective breath during the third quarter as James rolled his ankle stepping on Rose's foot as he drove to the basket, but the former NBA MVP stayed in the game and showed no signs of serious discomfort.

While the Cavs appeared to be in grave danger of going down 3-1 in the series, Smith's hot shooting bailed his team out. The veteran 2-guard nailed three critical three-pointers in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, the last of which put Cleveland ahead 76-73 after Butler tied the game with a three of his own. 

Grantland's Jason Concepcion summed up Smith's heroics for the Cavaliers—and really, his entire career—in the best way possible:

Smith has always been erratic, but he's been invaluable to the Cavaliers since returning from a two-game suspension. His late game-tying three-point shot in Game 3 got lost in the hysteria of Rose's buzzer-beater, but he was tremendous in the fourth quarter again on Sunday. 

This game will haunt the Bulls if they go on to lose the series. They had the Cavaliers on the ropes late in the third quarter, but their shooting touch suddenly vanished at the worst possible time, as Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer noted:

Butler did all he could to keep the Bulls in the game when it was slipping away. Like James, the Chicago star didn't have a great day overall, going 8-of-21 from the floor with 19 points, but he narrowed Cleveland's lead to 84-82 by drilling a three-pointer with less than 30 seconds to play. 

Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago noted that Butler's evolution continues to be one of the biggest stories for the Bulls this season:

On the Cavs' next possession following Butler's three, the official called James for an offensive foul, and Rose tied the game with a layup that appeared as though it would send the game into overtime. 

James wasn't having any of that, however, especially with his team being so banged up at the moment. After losing the ball out of bounds following a failed drive to the basket, he caught an inbounds pass from Matthew Dellavedova and pulled up just inside the three-point line for the game-winning bucket as time expired. 

LeBron discussed the play on Bleacher Report's Uninterrupted: 

The Bulls did play this game without Pau Gasol, who is still nursing a hamstring injury he aggravated in Game 3. Had Chicago taken a 3-1 series lead without its star power forward, it may have afforded Gasol a few extra days to recover instead of potentially forcing the team to rush him back.

However, the Cavaliers got a much-needed victory thanks to James. To win this series, they likely need Irving to overcome his injury woes and start playing at an All-Star level once more, but heading back to Cleveland with a chance to take a 3-2 lead is all that matters at the moment.