Cavaliers vs. Bulls: Game 3 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 NBA Playoffs
Derrick Rose may never return to his 2011 Most Valuable Player self, but Chicago Bulls fans aren't going to care if he keeps banking in game-winning three-pointers at the buzzer.
The three-time All-Star gave the Bulls a 2-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night as his improbable three propelled Chicago to a 99-96 victory:
CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli is already wondering if the shot will enter the pantheon of heartbreaking moments in Cleveland sports history:
"Who is the first person to write the 10,000-word piece on Rose’s shot being the new Jordan over Ehlo?
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) May 9, 2015"
Rose finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. All told, it wasn't a perfect performance from Rose, who missed 16 field-goal attempts and had three turnovers, but he remained aggressive throughout the game and managed to get open just enough for his last-second heave.
Jimmy Butler was also big for the Bulls, scoring 20 points. He did a great job defending LeBron James, picking up five steals overall.
James continued his somewhat lackluster second-round performance, shooting 8-of-25 from the field and compiling seven turnovers. Though he had 27 points, eight rebounds and 14 assists, he didn't meet his lofty standards.
James' assist total is notable because in the process of getting those 14 dimes, he moved into fourth on the all-time playoff assist list, per NBA TV:
Kyrie Irving was almost a complete nonfactor. He missed 10 of his 13 field-goal attempts and scored just 11 points.
The return of Smith was one of the major subplots of Game 3. The Cavaliers swingman was suspended for the first two games of the series for his flagrant foul on Boston's Jae Crowder in the first round.
"I'm not putting too much pressure on him," said James of Smith before the game, per USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt. "We're just happy to have another body out there, a guy like him who can make shots for us, defend. We've been short-handed as of late, so to have another guy out there is going to be great for our team."
Smith turned out to be a major difference-maker late, nailing two game-tying three-pointers within the final three minute of the game. The second of those shots came with 10 seconds to go, tying the score at 96-96.
The Cavs led 24-18 after the first quarter, but the Bulls stormed back in the second in large part because of Nikola Mirotic. The Rookie of the Year runner-up was an afterthought through the first two games but exploded for 11 points in the second quarter. Those were more points than he had scored in Games 1 and 2 combined, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Mike Dunleavy's 16 points were also a welcome development for Chicago with Rose and Butler combining for just nine points through the first half. Michael Singer of USA Today explained why Dunleavy's performance was a good sign for the Bulls:
The Cavs, meanwhile, got eight big points from Matthew Dellavedova and five from James Jones in the first half, which helped ease some of the scoring burden on James and Irving. LeBron was 4-of-14 from the field in the first and second quarters, while Kyrie looked to be affected by a slight ankle injury he suffered early in the game, per Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal:
Tony Snell had an opportunity to tie the game as time expired in the second quarter, but his layup rimmed out, and the Cavs maintained a slim 49-47 lead.
In Games 1 and 2, the winner never trailed from the opening tip to the final buzzer. Chicago enjoyed a wire-to-wire victory Monday, and Cleveland responded in kind Wednesday.
Game 3 couldn't have played out much differently. Neither team owned a significant advantage for any period of time. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the third quarter alone had nine lead changes:
With the referees letting a lot of physical play go, tensions between the Bulls and Cavs only increased as the game went on. Things got interesting in the third quarter after James and Joakim Noah picked up double technical fouls following a right-handed jam from LeBron:
James said after the game that he didn't appreciate Noah's trash-talking, per Andrew Keh of The New York Times:
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones used the opportunity to continue his war of words with the former Defensive Player of the Year:
The Cavaliers kept the game close despite their stars' scoring struggles, and Tristan Thompson was a big reason for that. He was impressive on the boards, especially the offensive glass. He collected 13 rebounds, four of which were on offense.
Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick noted that Thompson finds a different level when he's playing Chicago:
In the end, Thompson's effort wasn't enough to mask Cleveland's poor shooting and overreliance on isolation offense. The Cavaliers nearly pushed it to overtime with Smith's late three, but they ultimately didn't do enough to win.
It's difficult making any sense of this series. The Cavs had just about everything go wrong and nearly won, while Chicago didn't exactly play that well either but picked up a vital home win.
Until James starts playing better, though, you have to seriously question Cleveland's chances of advancing. And if Irving continues to be dogged by his ankle issue, the Cavs will be in serious trouble.
