Bulls-Cavaliers Preview

By BRETT HUSTON
Posted Mar 02 2012 12:20PM

The Chicago Bulls had a serious scare as Derrick Rose was involved in a knee-on-knee collision in their latest win, but the All-Star point guard appears to be fine.

The Cleveland Cavaliers can't fare much worse with Rose in Chicago's lineup than they did when he wasn't.

The Bulls handed Cleveland the most lopsided home loss in franchise history six weeks ago with Rose in street clothes, but they'll have the MVP on Friday night as they return to Quicken Loans Arena looking for a fifth consecutive victory.

Rose's health has been just about the only concern for Chicago (29-8) in the season's first half, but the team has won all four games since he returned after missing five with a strained lower back.

The latest victory was easily the most impressive of that bunch, 96-89 in San Antonio on Wednesday, but it didn't come without a few anxious moments. Rose banged knees with Spurs guard Tony Parker in the first quarter and was down for several minutes, but he never came out and finished with a game-high 29 points.

Rose, who said the initial pain from the hit quickly subsided, was simply happy to have three more quarters against Parker.

"Playing every point guard on the planet is fun, where I love the challenge," said Rose, averaging 25.0 points since his return.

This could be Rose's first chance to face Cavaliers rookie Kyrie Irving, who, like him, was the top overall pick of an NBA draft. But Irving missed Friday's shootaround with an illness and is considered a game-time decision Friday.

A toe injury kept Rose on the sidelines when Chicago visited Cleveland on Jan. 20, but the Bulls certainly didn't miss him. Luol Deng had 21 points and Carlos Boozer finished with 19 and 14 rebounds in Chicago's 114-75 rout.

That effort led Cavaliers coach Byron Scott to rip into his team.

"Chicago was aggressive and physical and the more (shots) they hit, the more we took steps back," he said. "We didn't react to their physical play whatsoever - besides the whining. You can not let a good team like they are come in and play harder, be more physical, more aggressive and expect to win or even be in the game."

Scott shared some similar frustration after his team's latest performance. Cleveland (13-20) led New York by as many as 17 in the second quarter Wednesday night and took a 12-point lead into halftime, but collapsed with 16 second-half turnovers in a 120-103 loss.

"They came out more aggressive and we melted," Scott said. "... We didn't do a good job taking care of the ball and we didn't do a good job of attacking. If they're going to be aggressive like that, we need to be aggressive back and I don't think we were."

The Cavaliers hit triple digits for just the third time in 21 games, but sniffing 100 again won't be easy. The Bulls have given up an average of 82.0 points in their last six away from the United Center.

That's the same average they've allowed in the five meetings with Cleveland since LeBron James left, winning each one to extend their regular-season series winning streak to six.

Irving had 22 on Wednesday, just the third time in nine games Cleveland has lost when he's scored that many. He had 13 in the first meeting with Chicago, and the Cavaliers are 6-15 when he scores 21 or fewer.

Including the playoffs, Rose has averaged 24.4 points in his last five games in Cleveland. Boozer, meanwhile, has scored at least 19 while posting four straight double-doubles against his former team.

Bulls trample Cavaliers 112-91

By TOM WITHERS
Posted Mar 02 2012 10:54PM

CLEVELAND (AP) Once Derrick Rose decided it was time, it was time.

And there wasn't a thing the Cleveland Cavaliers could do to stop it.

The NBA's incumbent MVP took over in the third quarter, scoring 10 of his 19 points and adding six of his nine assists. He led the Chicago Bulls to their fifth straight win, 112-91 on Friday night over the Cavaliers, who were without rookie guard Kyrie Irving.

Luol Deng scored a season-high 24 points and Carlos Boozer added 13 points and 11 rebounds for Chicago.

But it was Rose, the Bulls' fearless point guard and leader, who made it possible.

"D-Rose can do whatever he wants whenever he wants," Boozer said. "The great thing about him is any moment he can take over a game. He has his imprint on every game we play. It's fun playing with him, but it's also fun to watch."

Up by 12 at halftime, Chicago built a 24-point lead in the third quarter and coasted to its 12th win in 14 games to stay on Miami's heels for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls had to work a little harder than they did on their previous visit to Cleveland.

On Jan. 20, they beat the Cavaliers by 39 despite not having Rose, who was sidelined with a sore toe.

This time, Chicago didn't pull away until midway through the third, when Rose turned his game up a notch and the Bulls ratcheted up theirs.

Driving to the basket whenever he felt the need, Rose accounted for 22 points in the quarter as the Bulls scored 38 and ended any lingering suspense. The Cavs had no one to challenge Rose, who powered his way inside, drew body contact and converted a three-point play to make it 89-66.

"I'm a driver," Rose said with a shrug.

The Cavs came in with a game plan to put the brakes on Rose.

He ran it over.

"The one thing you want to try to get him to do is shoot jump shots, clog the paint," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "But when you're coming down in transition, he's just one of those guys who has an unbelievable ability to get to the basket and make shots, even with contact.

"You've got to give him a lot of credit. He is a special basketball player. That's the bottom line."

Deng's 3-pointer with 11 seconds to go put the Bulls ahead 94-70, causing many Cleveland fans to grab their jackets and head toward the exits.

Rose, Boozer and fellow starters Joakim Noah and Richard Hamilton didn't even have to play in the fourth as Chicago's backups also controlled the Cavs.

"Our guys' attitude has been great all season," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "In this league, you get in trouble if you feel good about a win you had in the last game or you look ahead to another opponent. That's when you get hurt. You have to concentrate on what's in front of you. Being ready is the big thing."

Antawn Jamison scored 22 for Cleveland, 0-3 since the All-Star break.

"It's disappointing," he said. "Against a team like that you have to bring it for 48 minutes. We only did it for 12. It's the realization that we've got a long way to go."

Irving has been fighting a flu bug for several days and missed his fourth game. The Cavs sorely missed their leading scorer and playmaker while dropping their fourth straight.

Not feeling well, Irving stayed home from the morning shootaround. He arrived at Quicken Loans Arena several hours before tip-off and shot around on the floor before doctors decided to have him take the night off. Scott said the 19-year-old picked up "a bug" during All-Star weekend in Orlando "that finally caught up with him."

Irving's illness prevented him from matching skills with Rose for the second time. It's possible they won't face each other at all this season. Cleveland visits Chicago in the regular-season finale, but Rose will only play if that game has any impact on the playoff seedings.

Even Rose is looking forward to a duel with Irving.

"He's a good young player," Rose said. "I was watching him all the time at Duke. I just can't wait for it."

Scott said he addressed the recent embarrassing blowout against the Bulls, who despite not having the league's reigning MVP, destroyed the Cavs 114-75 - the most lopsided loss in Cleveland history.

Scott's message?

"Man up," he said.

The Cavs did for as long as they could.

Cleveland only trailed 30-28 after one quarter, but the Bulls began to show their weaponry in the second.

Kyle Korver made three consecutive 3-pointers to help Chicago open a 15-point lead. The Bulls only led 56-44 at half, and the Cavs must have felt they had a chance when they returned from the break.

Rose, though, had other plans.

"When you play against a team as good as they are - and they are definitely one of the best teams in the league - you can't have the unforced turnovers that we had," Scott said. "You can't make the defensive mistakes that we made. Some of the lapses that we had defensively killed us.

"You have to play, I wouldn't say perfect basketball against them, but pretty close because they are that good."

Notes: After playing 10 of 11 at home, the Cavs will hit the road for seven of their next 11. ... The Bulls are 16-0 on the road this season when leading at half. ... Seldom-used Bulls reserve Brian Scalabrine came in with less than four minutes left, delighting Chicago fans, who roared when he knocked down a 3-pointer in the final minute.

Notebook: Bulls 112, Cavaliers 91

Posted Saturday March 3, 2012 12:02AM

By Brian Dulik, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Small forward Luol Deng scored a game-high 24 points and point guard Derrick Rose added 19 points and nine assists as the Chicago Bulls blasted the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-91. Power forward Carlos Boozer chipped in 13 points and 11 rebounds for the visiting Bulls, who shot 52.8 percent from the field in extending their winning streak to five games. Power forward Antawn Jamison paced the Cavaliers with 22 points, while point guard Ramon Sessions had 16 points and seven assists. Cleveland rookie point guard Kyrie Irving was a late scratch due to an illness he caught during NBA All-Star weekend.

QUOTABLE: "You have to play, I wouldn't say perfect basketball against them, but pretty close to it because they are that good. You need talent in this league to be successful and the Chicago Bulls have a heck of a lot of talent."
-- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott

THE STAT: The Bulls are 2-0 against the Cavaliers this season with an average victory margin of 30.0 points. In their first meeting on Jan. 20, Chicago handed Cleveland its worst-ever home loss with a 114-75 thrashing at Quicken Loans Arena. "As a leader, it's upsetting to see the effort we put forth for 48 minutes tonight," Jamison said. "We lose by almost 40 points the last time we played them and almost did the same thing today. You've got to come out and match their intensity when you play Chicago. It's disappointing the way we came out and didn't execute."

TURNING POINT: After Sessions made two free throws to cut the Cavaliers' deficit to 64-54 early in the third quarter, Rose took over the game. The reigning NBA MVP exploded for 10 points and five assists in the next 7:30, triggering a 30-16 run that pushed Chicago's lead out to 94-70. "I'm a driver. I came into the league as a driver and that's what I do best," said Rose, who scored three driving layups during the assault. "I also played aggressively throughout the first half, but I wanted to get other guys into the game until we got the lead. I was just picking my spots."

QUOTABLE II: "Our game plan changed a little with Kyrie being out because we thought he was going to play, but honestly, we just try to focus on our game plan -- and whatever happens out there happens."
-- Boozer

HOT: In the first half, Chicago small forwards Deng and Kyle Korver combined to score 24 points and make all seven of their 3-pointers. ... Boozer notched his eighth double-double of the season. ... Bulls point guard Ronnie Brewer had 13 points, four rebounds and two steals in 23 strong minutes off the bench. ... Chicago shot 61.0 percent from the floor in the second half. ... Cavaliers power forward Tristan Thompson shared game-high honors with 11 rebounds. The fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft is averaging 9.7 points and 9.1 boards in his last seven contests. ... In four starts this season, Sessions is averaging 17.8 points and 11.0 assists.

NOT: The Cavaliers' biggest deficit of 28 points came with 5:52 left in the fourth quarter -- long after Chicago had pulled its starters. Bulls power forward Taj Gibson did the honors with a layup that made it 105-77. ... Cleveland has lost three straight home games and four in a row overall. ... Cavaliers backup guards Daniel Gibson and Manny Harris missed all five of their field goal attempts in the first three quarters, but made their stats look respectable by going 7-for-10 in the fourth. ... Jamison was 1-for-6 beyond the arc and fired up 17 total shots in 30 minutes. On the season, he is averaging a field goal attempt every 123 seconds.

QUOTABLE III: "That's a championship-caliber team, and that's what they played like tonight. You can't make mistakes against them because they'll make you pay. They've got so many talented players."
-- Cavaliers small forward Omri Casspi

GOOD MOVE: The Bulls amped up their defensive pressure from the opening tip to take advantage of Irving's absence. Sessions and Gibson each had seven assists, but the Cavaliers' offense largely consisted of jump shots because they were unable to penetrate off the dribble. "When Kyrie isn't out there and their first option isn't there, they don't take the shots that they want to take," Rose said. "When he is out there and the first option isn't there, they can give it to him because he's a great playmaker and a great scorer. He makes the game easy for everyone."

BAD MOVE: Scott gave Semih Erden his ninth straight start at center for the Cavaliers, but the native of Turkey again failed to take advantage of the increased playing time. Erden picked up two fouls in the first 2:25, was outplayed by Chicago counterpart Joakim Noah, and finished with four points and three rebounds. On the season, the second-year pro is averaging 3.4 points and 2.8 boards while shooting .452 from the foul line. With Anderson Varejao (right wrist fracture) expected to return within 2-3 weeks, the clock is ticking on Erden's golden opportunity.

NOTABLE: Rose and Irving have yet to play against each other due to injuries, but have one more opportunity to do so this season. The Cavaliers travel to Chicago on April 26, which is the final night of the regular season. "I was watching him all the time at Duke, so I can't wait for it," Rose said. "It will be fun, for sure." ... Scott said Irving's illness was "some type of bug he caught in Orlando, and it finally caught up with him." The No. 1 overall draft choice was named the MVP of the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge and finished last in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge during NBA All-Star weekend. ... Cleveland Browns wide receiver Joshua Cribbs and cornerback Joe Haden were in attendance, cheering for the Cavaliers. Both NFL players have become courtside staples at Quicken Loans Arena.

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, Sunday @ Philadelphia, Monday vs. Indiana, Wednesday @ Milwaukee. For the Cavaliers, Saturday @ Washington, Monday vs. Utah, Wednesday @ Denver.

• Bulls: --
• Cavaliers: Eyenga, Varejao

• Bulls: --
• Cavaliers: --

• Lead Changes: 8
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #28 Tommy Nunez Jr., #30 John Goble
• Attendance: 20562
• Duration: 1:55