Bulls vs. Cavaliers: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

After leading the Eastern Conference for a good portion of the season's first half, the Chicago Bulls find themselves tied with the Miami Heat atop the conference entering tonight's road clash with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It's not because the Bulls have played poorly. Rather, a recent dominating run by the Heat, including a current nine-game winning streak, has helped them get back even with Chicago. It will be interesting to see how the Bulls respond now that they're healthy.

There's two ways to look at Cleveland's season. An optimist will say the team is playing better than last season and they've found their point guard of the future. A pessimist would point out the Cavaliers are only 13-20 despite the progress. Either way, there's room for improvement.

Where: Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio

When: Friday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Watch: CSN Chicago (Bulls), Fox Sports Ohio (Cavaliers) or NBA League Pass

Listen: WMVP 1000 AM (Bulls) or WTAM 1100 AM (Cavaliers)

Betting Line: Bulls -8.5

Key Injuries (via CBS Sports)

Bulls: No injuries to report

Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao (out—wrist)

What's at Stake?

Every game from now until the East's top seed is clinched will be vital for Chicago. The Bulls and Heat appear to be on a playoff collision course. Therefore, home-court advantage becomes the ultimate goal for both teams now that All-Star weekend is in the books.

For Cleveland, the rest of the season will be all about gaining experience. The Cavs' playoff chances have quickly faded away, so head coach Byron Scott would be wise to start getting some players like Tristan Thompson more playing time down the stretch.

What They're Saying

Derrick Rose is really looking forward to playing against rookie Kyrie Irving, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

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"It's a point guard era," Rose said. "It's fun. We go after each other."

Cavaliers rookie Kyrie Irving is the next test, and Rose is anticipating it even more because he missed the teams' first meeting Jan. 20 in Cleveland with a sprained left big toe. The Bulls won handily that night.

"He's a very good player," Rose said. "He's real aggressive."

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Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer examined the Cavaliers' problems inside "The Q" this season, where they are 8-10.

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"There was only one road game where we didn't play for a [darn] this season, and that was in Atlanta," said coach Byron Scott of a 121-94 loss Jan. 21.

"Our focus has been good on the road. At times, you can get too relaxed at home."

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Most Important Player to Watch: Carlos Boozer

While Boozer's name is seemingly always tossed around in trade talk, he remains a key member of the Bulls. Despite a decrease in minutes, he's still averaging 16 points and eight rebounds this season. The Duke product isn't as bad as the rhetoric would lead you to believe.

Along with Joakim Noah, he gives Chicago two reliable options in the post. That's very important when it comes to taking down the Heat, who only have Chris Bosh on the interior. If the Bulls are interested in moving him, they can't sacrifice their advantage in the paint to do it.

With Anderson Varejao out for Cleveland, Boozer should be able to take control of the game early if he comes out aggressive.

Prediction: 18 points and 11 rebounds

Key Matchup: Derrick Rose vs. Kyrie Irving

Rose has battled nagging injuries for most of the season, but he finally seems close to 100 percent. The Bulls become far more dangerous when he's clicking because he can't be contained one-on-one, which leads to a lot more open shots for his teammates.

Even though there were some concerns about Irving coming out of college due to his lack of experience, he's made the Cavs look like geniuses for selecting him. He's already averaging 19 points and five assists in 31 minutes per game. Once he starts getting a more extended run, he'll really take off.

If Cleveland is going to pull off an upset, Irving will need to outplay Rose. It's a tall task to be sure, but not impossible.

Prediction

Bulls 99, Cavaliers 89