Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls: Game 3 Grades and Analysis
It took a Derrick Rose-sized miracle, but the Chicago Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-96 in regulation Friday night to take a 2-1 series lead.
Though both teams struggled with efficiency early on, leaders LeBron James and Derrick Rose recovered in the second period to ignite their respective offenses.
The teams traded leads early, with the contest going down to the final seconds. Missed free throws and a J.R. Smith three down the stretch gave Cleveland a chance to take the game into overtime, but Rose—who led with a game-high 30 points—hit an off-balance three at the buzzer to seal the Game 3 victory.
Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose
| Derrick Rose | A |
| Jimmy Butler | B |
| Joakim Noah | C |
| Mike Dunleavy | B |
| Rest of Team | B- |
| LeBron James | B+ |
| Kyrie Irving | C |
| Timofey Mozgov | B+ |
| Tristan Thompson | B |
| Rest of Team | C+ |
Derrick Rose began the night as one of many Chicago players struggling to score. However, as he began to drive more often, he became increasingly unstoppable and ultimately erased any bad memories from the game's opening periods as he banked in an off-balance three to win the game.
He was awful from the perimeter and mid-range for most of the game but excelled attacking the rim where he scored the majority of his buckets. He also found himself at the line for the first time this series, going 9-of-10 from the stripe.
His confidence seemingly grew with each passing quarter, and he looked like the superstar Chicago needed him to be by the final period. Regardless of his shooting struggles and slow start, Rose enjoyed a fantastic night, finishing with 30 points and hitting the game's biggest shot.
Jimmy Butler
It wasn't one of Jimmy Butler's best nights. Though he scored 20 points, he did so on 7-of-17 shooting. He opened the game unable to get anything going on the offensive end, though he eventually heated up toward the end.
Down the stretch, Butler hit a few key shots and made a number of watershed defensive plays. Finishing with five steals and eight boards, Butler certainly filled the stat sheet and made a positive impact despite his off night.
Entering Game 3 Joakim Noah had received ample criticism regarding his offensive play and rebounding contributions leading up to the night.
He addressed the latter concerns early, opening with a fire that translated to early rebound after early rebound. He finished the night with 11 in just 21 minutes, logging six on the offensive end.
He was his usual energetic self on the defensive end and played a crucial role in forcing Cleveland into bad shots in the opening half.
However, his offensive woes continued. Noah scored just four on 1-of-8 shooting. He also failed to log an assist—something Bulls fans hardly expect from a player who has become so integral to the team's interior ball movement.
Mike Dunleavy
While his teammates failed to find a groove in the opening half, Mike Dunleavy emerged as one of the team's more consistent producers. He shot the ball well, doing little more than his role-player status demanded.
Finishing with 16, he continued to score efficiently for the remainder of the night. He was also essential in stretching out the defense to create opportunities for Rose and Co. to attack the basket. He did attack the rim when given the opportunity but was most effective as a three-point threat, and he helped save a Chicago offense that was ready to fall apart in the first period.
Rest of Team
Nikola Mirotic was the Bulls' most noteworthy "other" guy, scoring 12 points in 22 minutes after making extremely limited appearances in the first two games. He tapered off after starting the night with 11 points in his first few minutes off the bench but was integral in the second period when the Bulls' scoring options seemed unprecedentedly limited.
Pau Gasol was quiet, scoring just six points and logging only 22 minutes before leaving with a hamstring injury.
Taj Gibson took the majority of the big-man minutes down the stretch, finishing with a solid nine points on four shots and nine rebounds.
Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James
Statistically, LeBron James didn't dominate. He finished with 27 on 8-of-25 shooting.
And yet, when the final buzzer sounded, there was no question as to who Cleveland's best player had been. Even with his continued shooting woes, James still found a way to execute on the offensive end—taking it to the rim and drawing fouls around the basket.
He also served as the Cavaliers' primary ball-handler and facilitator, starting the game with seven first-quarter assists and finishing with 14. Though he still struggled as a shooter, the offense continued to flow through him, as James dominated despite efficiency struggles.
It was a quiet night from Kyrie Irving, who appeared hobbled from the game's start. His opportunities were limited, as he found himself relegated to a shooter's role after LeBron emerged early as the offensive leader and primary distributor.
Though he seemed to hit the majority of his jump shots—going 3-of-4 from deep—he couldn't get anything going inside, finishing with a 3-of-13 clip and looking far more one-dimensional than usual.
Chicago attacked him defensively throughout the contest, as Irving failed to show up on either end in a manner that would have benefited Cleveland.
Timofey Mozgov
Timofey Mozgov's interior defense to open the game set the tone for the entire first half. Though the Bulls attacked him possession after possession, Mozgov maintained a presence under the basket and directly led to his opponents' poor offensive outing.
On the scoring end, Mozgov notched eight. He served primarily as a go-to target for LeBron under the basket.
He also added seven rebounds but undoubtedly made his biggest impact defensively in a manner that fails to show up on the stat sheet but was extremely visible in the form of Chicago's struggles.
Tristan Thompson
Kevin Love's shoulder injury paved the way for Tristan Thompson to accept a role increase. Though he scored just 10 points, his production on defense and on the boards was fantastic.
He notched three blocks and helped Mozgov take the Bulls bigs out of the game early. As the Bulls guards began to find a groove around the rim, Thompson maintained a defensive presence. He even guarded Rose well on the final play, though the shot still found its way through the rim.
Thompson was fantastic on the glass on both ends, finishing with 13 boards, including four on the offensive end to create shots for his teammates.
Rest of Team
J.R. Smith played a very characteristic game in his return from suspension. He launched threes at will and finished 4-of-8 from deep.
His big shots included the game-tying triple prior to Rose's buzzer-beater.
Iman Shumpert struggled to score initially but quietly recovered by the game's end.
Up Next
The Chicago Bulls will look to carry this momentum into Game 4, which they host Saturday afternoon.
Despite the win, the team's scoring struggles and lack of balance certainly gives them plenty to address on Saturday.
The Cavs, meanwhile, will look to rebound and avoid falling in a 3-1 hole before leaving Chicago to return home for a game.
