The Cleveland Cavaliers knocked off the Chicago Bulls in Game 2, tying the series 1-1, and now get starting guard J.R. Smith back from suspension. Will that propel the Cavs to their second straight victory, or will Chicago retake the series lead with a home win?
Projected Starting Lineups
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers (53-29)
G Kyrie Irving – 21.7 ppg, 5.2 apg
G J.R. Smith – 12.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg
F LeBron James – 25.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 7.4 apg
F Tristan Thompson – 7.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg
C Timofey Mozgov– 10.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg
(3) Chicago Bulls (50-32)
G Derrick Rose – 17.7 ppg, 4.9 apg
G Jimmy Butler – 20.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg
F Mike Dunleavy – 9.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg
F Pau Gasol – 18.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg
C Joakim Noah – 7.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 4.7 apg
What to watch for:
What will J.R. Smith's return mean for Cleveland?
Smith's return from a two-game suspension will add some much-needed depth to a Cavs team that already had a short bench, meaning head coach David Blatt won't have to play Matthew Dellavedova 36 minutes or give James Jones 22 minutes tonight. He'll also help on the offensive end, where his shooting ability will stretch the defense and create more driving lanes for LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
If he can stay on the floor for over 35 minutes and knock down four three-pointers, Cleveland has a very good chance to win - but if he can't, they'll almost surely lose.
LeBron James' aggressiveness
Without Kevin Love, the Cavs need LeBron to take charge on the offensive end. The difference can be seen in his performances in Games 1 & 2: his 19 points in Game 1 resulted in a loss, while his 33 points in Game 2 resulted in a win. He’ll get help from Smith's return, but LeBron will be relied on to carry the scoring load again tonight.
Prediction: Bulls win 103-100
Chicago wants to rebound after falling in Game 2, and I expect them to play inspired basketball in front of their home crowd. J.R. Smith will be rusty and while this game will be close throughout, the Bulls will make the plays they need to down the stretch to win.
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