QUICKHIT: Cavs 106, Bulls 101

CAVS WIN! They beat Chicago in game 5, 106-101 & take a 3-2 series lead.

LeBron finishes w/ 38 Pts, 12 Reb, 6 Ast. pic.twitter.com/mV9StSmrlk

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 13, 2015

That game had EVERYTHING.  I’m not sure how I’m going to recap it and get any sleep.  LeBron played possibly his best playoff game in a Cavs uniform since 2009.  He completely dominated in the first half and finished with 38 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks (including a highlight, series-saving block on D Rose) and ZERO, (count them…wait you can’t) ZERO Turnovers.  Incredible.  He was dominant in the half-court from mid-range, backing down Jimmy Butler and tossing socks into a laundry basket from every angle.

Kyrie Irving’s first shot hit the side of the backboard.  Derrick Rose exploited him so badly in the opening minutes people were adamantly wondering why he was even trying to play.  The Cavs were down double digits in the 1st quarter and the Bulls looked like they were alone in the gym.  I wondered to myself if the Cavs would crack 70 points.  Then they hit a few tough shots, then a few more tough shots, then got a few transition buckets, the crowd energy started to build, and the game (not the gimpy Cavs) started to slow down.

The second half had a completely different feel and enough mini story-lines to fill a weeks’ worth of games.  The Cavs started out flat once again.  Kyrie looked like Uncle Drew at the end of the commercial instead of the beginning.  On offense.  Mike Dunleavy would not let the Cavs have nice things.  The bench Mob pushed the lead to 17.  Delly buried a 3 that almost brought the house down and a split second later, Mirotic swished a past-half-court buzzer beater.  Delly and Gibson got “tangled up” and Gibson kicked Delly in the back, earning an ejection.  The Bulls suddenly became unconscious from behind the arc and erased a 17-point lead in just a few minutes while the Cavs went into the LeBron-led prevent offense with 6+ minutes to go.  Derrick Rose streaked down the floor with one man to beat and had a chance to tie the game with under a minute to left.  LeBron swatted the layup attempt out of bounds.  On the next possession, the Cavs choke job continued, but in a sequence that could be used to define the series, Tristan Thompson got a fingertip on the miss, deflecting it slightly towards the other side of the scrum where Delly tipped it ever so slight towards the top of the key where Shumpert elevated and tip-passed it to Kyrie near half-court.  The Bulls had to foul, Kyrie drained the freebies, and the Cavs held on.  With duct-tape, spare-parts, and a lot of heart.

This series has been one for the ages.  In the last 3 games there have been moments where all logic and foresight would indicate that either team was finished, facing an insurmountable task, or hanging on by an unsustainable thread.  And then when we least expect it there is a tectonic shift in the opposite direction.  One thing that can be safely said about these two teams – they will not stop playing no matter the score, the adversity, the immediate past history, the injuries, or the burning hot coaching seats.

It’s good to be back here.