Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls: Game 6 Grades and Analysis
With their backs against the wall, the Chicago Bulls ended up seeing a movie they'd watched before in Game 6 of their second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Against LeBron James and Co., Chicago couldn't put together any hint of offense on Thursday night. Like James' Miami Heat teams did so many times in years past, Cleveland eliminated Chicago in Game 6 on Thursday by a score of 94-73.
With forward Kevin Love already out and point guard Kyrie Irving battling leg injuries, James shouldered most of the load and wound up one rebound shy of a triple-double, despite being in foul trouble all night long.
He scored 15 points, and backup guard Matthew Dellavedova led the Cavs with 19 thanks to some fourth-quarter threes.
Pau Gasol clearly wasn't at 100 percent, playing through a hamstring injury and finishing with just eight points. Guards Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler did what they could, but they were the lone Bulls to score in double figures.
| Kyrie Irving | B- |
| Iman Shumpert | B |
| LeBron James | A |
| Tristan Thompson | A- |
| J.R. Smith | B |
| James Jones | B |
| Timofey Mozgov | C+ |
| Matthew Dellavedova | A |
| Rest of Team | D |
| Derrick Rose | B |
| Jimmy Butler | B |
| Mike Dunleavy | C+ |
| Pau Gasol | C |
| Joakim Noah | D+ |
| Taj Gibson | B- |
| Nikola Mirotic | C- |
| Aaron Brooks | C- |
| Kirk Hinrich | F |
| Tony Snell | C- |
| Rest of Team | C |
Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyrie Irving: B-
Playing through knee and foot injuries, Kyrie Irving was effective when he was on the floor in Game 6. But he was forced off after stepping on Tristan Thompson's foot in the first half, and though he returned to the bench minutes later, he didn't see the floor for the rest of the night.
He finished with six points and a rebound.
He played just 12 minutes, and according to ESPN's Lisa Salters on the air, he could've played more if Cleveland had needed him. However, the team was excelling without him in the second quarter, leading to a doubtful return status after halftime.
He didn't do much playmaking but was a reliable spot-up guy on James kick-outs. Injuries clearly hampered his explosiveness, but Irving did what his body allowed on Thursday.
Iman Shumpert: B
It was a quiet first few minutes for Iman Shumpert—until Nikola Mirotic foolishly clotheslined the Cavs swingman in the second quarter. It was ruled a flagrant, and after the incident, Angry Shump was activated.
The guard scored six points in the minute that ensued, going for 11 points in the first half and 13 points altogether.
Usually one to struggle with his handle, Shumpert successfully blew by Bulls defenders for layups while acting as a reliable option along the perimeter. He was also an active defender on the ball, often matched up against Rose or Butler.
He was responsible for a few reckless drives and undisciplined shots, but Shumpert's solid postseason performance continued in Game 6.
LeBron James: A
With Love already missing, Irving missing most of the night due to injury and himself battling foul trouble all evening, James did enough on his own for the Cavs to eliminate Chicago on the road.
He logged his fourth foul with several minutes left and Chicago within striking distance, but he stayed on the floor to eventually score 15 points and dish out 11 assists while grabbing nine rebounds—one shy of a triple double.
He's still struggling from the outside, but when a LeBron James team has its opposition on the ropes, it can count on him to finish the job.
Tristan Thompson: A-
Leading all players in rebounds, Tristan Thompson came away with one of his best playoff performances on Thursday. The forward was aggressive under the rim, not only grabbing boards off the offensive glass but going back up with the ball.
He locked up a double-double early in the third quarter and finished with 13 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks.
J.R. Smith: B
It took him most of the game to find a shooting rhythm, but shooting guard J.R. Smith turned it on in the second half. Going just 1-of-3 through his first 20 minutes, Smith drilled back-to-back threes in the closing minutes of the third quarter to keep Chicago at bay.
He ended up with 12 points and eight rebounds.
James Jones: B
Receiving major minutes with Love missing, James Jones did his best Ray Allen impression for James in Game 6. He sank three of his six threes—most of which came off passes from James—tallying nine points, two rebounds and an assist over his 10 minutes.
Timofey Mozgov: C+
Timofey Mozgov had a string of consecutive made baskets from inside in the first half, but the center didn't do much scoring outside of that stretch. In 25 minutes, he posted seven points on 2-of-6 shooting and five rebounds.
Matthew Dellavedova: A
Matthew Dellavedova was on the dishing end of two lobs to Thompson, one of which errantly landed through the hoop. The backup point guard heated up late in the second half, drilling three after three to help push Cleveland into complete control in the fourth quarter.
Dellavedova ended the night as Cleveland's high scorer with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
Rest of Team: D
Joe Harris, Mike Miller and Kendrick Perkins came on with two minutes left and the score already decided. Harris turned it over once and Perkins grabbed two rebounds.
Perkins also hit a three-pointer after the whistle. It didn't count, but the Cavs' bench enjoyed a nice chuckle.
Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose: B
The outcome wasn't what the Bulls hoped, but Derrick Rose put together a solid performance in major minutes—perhaps for the final time under head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Rose ended the game with 14 points and six assists over his 35 minutes, landing a number of tough shots when the game was within reach through the first half.
When the offense dried up for the Bulls, however, Rose was of little help. He fought through tough defensive matchups all night against Shumpert, Dellavedova and others, but it wasn't enough for the Bulls to force a decisive Game 7.
Jimmy Butler: B
It was a disappointing ending to a great season for Jimmy Butler, who led his team in scoring but struggled with his shot all night.
He scored 20 points but on 22 shots, grabbing five rebounds and turning it over twice.
Even on an inconsistent night, Butler was the Bulls' most consistent scorer, as he was through most of the season. The tenacious guard was often responsible for hounding LeBron on defense, often forcing him into bad shots and a few turnovers.
The focus for Butler now turns to free agency, where he'll likely field maximum offers from several teams. The Bulls can match any offer, though Butler could be returning to a team without Thibodeau at the helm.
Mike Dunleavy: C+
With the Bulls unable to generate much offense all night, Mike Dunleavy wasn't able to benefit from open threes off Gasol double-teams or Rose/Butler penetrations.
He played 31 minutes and took nine shots but scored only seven points. The small forward went 1-of-7 from downtown in the loss but did come away with three blocks.
Pau Gasol: C
Clearly playing at less than 100 percent, Gasol wasn't of much help to Chicago in Game 6. He played just 23 minutes, hoisting eight shots and landing three of them. He scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds.
It was tough to watch Gasol go out in this fashion after a surprisingly encouraging season. He'll be 35 next season and could have a different role depending on how the Thibodeau and Butler situations play out this offseason.
Joakim Noah: D+
Joakim Noah's horrid postseason concluded in predictably underwhelming fashion. In 35 minutes, the center scored four points on two shots, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out a pair of assists.
It was his sixth game of these playoffs—half of the Bulls' games—scoring four or fewer points. He was a factor on the boards as the lone Bull to grab more than five rebounds. Chicago was out-rebounded 53-32.
Taj Gibson: B-
Taj Gibson was in foul trouble and only played 15 minutes, scoring two points, but the box score isn't a good representation of his contributions on Thursday. In his short time on the floor, Gibson was in the middle of everything on both ends.
He grabbed two rebounds and dished out an assist while providing sturdy defense in the middle.
Nikola Mirotic: C-
Nikola Mirotic disappointed all series, and Game 6 was no different. His most notable contribution was clotheslining Shumpert in the second quarter, earning a flagrant foul and lighting a fire under Cleveland before it extended an early lead.
Mirotic finished with seven points on 3-of-8 shooting but missed all three of his attempts from beyond the arc and grabbed just one rebound.
Aaron Brooks: C-
Aaron Brooks wasn't on the floor much, with Rose logging 36 minutes. Over Brooks' 10, he scored four points on 2-of-4 shooting. The backup guard grabbed two boards and logged an assist and was a relatively impressive minus-three on a night when the Bulls lost by 19.
Kirk Hinrich: F
In 20 playoff minutes on Thursday, Kirk Hinrich went scoreless and failed to log any assists or rebounds. His one attempt was an open three that nearly landed out of bounds.
It may finally be time for the Bulls to end this relationship.
Tony Snell: C-
Tony Snell played five minutes and drilled a three. That's about it, as Thibs didn't call the young forward's number a whole lot in Chicago's final game of the year.
Rest of Team: C
Thibodeau brought Doug McDermott, Nazr Mohammed and E'Twaun Moore on for garbage time. Moore scored two points, and they were all plus-two on the evening.
Up Next
Advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2009, the Cavaliers will either face the Atlanta Hawks or Washington Wizards.
Atlanta currently leads the series 3-2 and faces off in Game 6 on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
With the Bulls eliminated in the first two rounds for a fourth straight season and chronic rumblings of front office frustrations, it'll be interesting to monitor Tom Thibodeau's offseason.
Since the New Orleans Pelicans' head coaching position is now open—a fairly desirable job—Thibs could have eyes on pairing with Anthony Davis, with whom he's formed a relationship on Team USA.
Butler's free agency will also be a topic of discussion for Chicago. The Bulls can match any offer, though, and with Butler playing such an important role this season, it'd be difficult to see Chicago management letting him slip away.
