Cavaliers vs. Bulls: Game 6 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 NBA Playoffs

Kyrie Irving barely played. LeBron James shot 7-of-23 from the field. Game 6 of the playoff series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls took place in Chicago, and the desperate Bulls had to win to extend their season.

But the Cavaliers took it in dominant fashion, 94-73.

It wasn't James or Irving, but the combination of Matthew Dellavedova, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Tristan Thompson that ultimately did in the Bulls on Thursday. Thompson finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds, Dellavedova put the Cavs on his back in the second half and scored a team-high 19 points overall, and Shumpert and Smith combined for five critical three-pointers.

After the game, Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report tweeted that "Dellavedova says the boos at Gonzaga & BYU were louder than the boos in Chicago."

To James' credit, he dished out 11 assists and created open looks for his teammates by drawing defensive attention. Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal and Brian Windhorst of ESPN pointed out that James achieved an impressive accomplishment in the process:

While James is no stranger to postseason success, Cleveland certainly is in recent years. ESPN Stats & Info noted how long it has been since the Cavaliers reached this level:

Chicago never had much of a chance after a disastrous second quarter (13 points), and the future of the Bulls' core is now in question after another playoff exit at the hands of a James-led squad. This was the fourth time he eliminated the Bulls from the playoffs.

In all, the Bulls shot 37.5 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from three-point range, which is not the formula to win a playoff game.

Chicago did not play the first half like a team with its season on the line. Cleveland eviscerated Chicago's once-storied defense and took a 58-44 lead into halftime, even though Irving missed much of the first two quarters with knee concerns. In fact, the Cavaliers finished the half on an overwhelming 20-4 run.

Shumpert, James Jones and Smith combined for 26 points in the first 24 minutes. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News noted the absurd way Cleveland landed Smith and Shumpert in the first place:

"

I repeat, Phil Jackson traded J.R. Smith & Iman Shumpert for an 8th grader. That kid better be eating his veggies & working on his weak hand

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) May 15, 2015"

Of more concern for the Bulls was their general lackluster effort, as David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune pointed out:

The most notable news during the opening minutes of the second half was the announcement that Irving was doubtful to return, as reported by Bleacher Report's Ethan J. Skolnick. 

The two teams combined for a whopping two points in the first five-plus minutes of the third quarter, and Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated noted that it wasn't even a credit to the defenses:

With no Irving and foul trouble for James, it felt like there was an opportunity for the Bulls. Alas, the players on the floor for Cleveland weren't as big of a problem as Chicago's offense, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune and Nick Friedell of ESPN.com acknowledged:

Shea Serrano of Grantland raised a worthwhile question as Cleveland built its lead to 19 points in the middle of the third quarter:

The Cavaliers took a 73-60 lead into the fourth quarter, largely because Smith drilled multiple key three-pointers. Friedell praised the former New York Knick, while ESPN's Ryen Russillo simply couldn't believe what he saw from the home team: 

ESPN Stats & Info put Chicago's struggles into statistical perspective:

Just when it looked like Chicago still had a chance, one player on Cleveland ended it in the fourth quarter. That player was not James, but Dellavedova, who stretched the lead to 20 with a combination of floaters and three-pointers. 

ESPN's Jay Crawford commented on the incredible performance off the bench, and Dan Devine of Yahoo looked at things from a different perspective: 

Dellavedova put the exclamation mark on the game and series. James himself was even quoted as saying, "Delly's probably the toughest guy on the team," per CBS Sports NBA leading up to Game 6.

As Cleveland continued to build its overwhelming lead, the crowd in the United Center grew more frustrated and the Bulls players mentally checked out. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith suggested as much:

With the game clearly in hand for Cleveland during the entire fourth quarter, Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors raised an interesting thought:

While that remains to be seen, it was certainly a dreadful end of the season for the Bulls.

What's Next?

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers will start the Eastern Conference Finals Wednesday against the winner of the series between the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards.

The Hawks would enjoy home-court advantage against Cleveland, and the Wizards have a lethal backcourt of the ailing John Wall and Bradley Beal. Either way, the Cavaliers will be in for a challenge during the next round, but the fact that they closed out the Bulls on Thursday is critical.

Irving is dealing with injuries, and James played heavy minutes this entire series. Cleveland now has a golden opportunity to rest, watch other teams play and ideally get healthy before the next round. 

That may ultimately prove to be the most important thing about Cleveland's Game 6 win.