The Bulls were considered the main threat to the Cavaliers’ reign atop the Central Division and Eastern Conference. That changed in the weeks leading up to the All-Star break with Chicago floundering through four straight losses and six defeats in its last seven games. The Bulls can make a statement with a third consecutive victory over Cleveland this season.
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LOOK AHEAD
The Bulls are 2-0 against the Cavs this season but they will be without several key players when the season resumes following the All-Star break. With 30 games remaining, the Bulls sit seventh in the Eastern Conference. They’re one game ahead of the ninth-place Pistons and 3.5 games behind the third place Celtics in the turbulent East. We could say the worst is behind the Bulls, who entered the break with 13 losses in 18 games. But it isn’t over yet for the shorthanded team as they try to extract themselves from a hole. Their shaky play on multiple levels has inspired little confidence. Now, the widespread injuries have thrust players into roles for which they’re not fully prepared, causing inconsistent results.
LeBron James said the timing of the All-Star break couldn’t have been much worse for his Cavaliers. With eight victories in their past 10 games, including three straight heading into the break, the Cavs have started clicking. Now that momentum has come to a halt and the seven-day break between games is a blow to the team, according to James. But James said his veteran presence and other members of the Cavs squad will allow the team to get back in the groove faster than normal.
INJURIES
The break for All-Star festivities certainly didn’t help the Bulls on the injury front. Jimmy Butler remains out with a strained left knee and he made it clear he will listen to his body rather than three to four week timeline estimated for his return. Nikola Mirotic is rehabbing from two surgeries – an appendectomy and hematoma removal after complications. Taj Gibson is questionable after a foot injury in the team’s final game before the break led to a brief hospital stay.
The Cavs are hopeful backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova is over the hamstring issues that forced him out of the past five games. The week-long break allowed him time for rest and treatment.
KEY MATCHUP
The numbers say Derrick Rose is driving to the rim at a higher rate now than he was at any other point this season. After a slow start – the former MVP was statistically one of the worst shooters in the league from October through December – that’s significant progress for Rose and the Bulls, who have been maddeningly inconsistent and are stuck in the middle of the pack in the East. What the numbers don’t show is that Rose is teaching himself how to be the Rose of old again. That’s a process that can’t happen quickly enough for a team that desperately needs him now more than ever. With Butler sidelined for a few more weeks with a knee injury, Rose is thrust into the spotlight of being the team’s offensive leader. He will be expected to pick up the scoring pace left by Butler and continue to find Pau Gasol in the block for his patented at-the-rim shots. Rose had taken a back seat when Butler emerged as the Bulls’ go-to option. Now, it’s time for Rose to rekindle some of the excitement he mustered before the knee injuries derailed his career.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Bulls struggled heading into the All-Star break and things don’t look like they’re going to get better any time soon. The shorthanded group suffered four straight losses in advance of the hiatus and looked lost defensively, surrendering over 100 points in seven straight games. And the defense is least of the team’s concerns with leading scorer Butler and Mirotic still out of the lineup. The Cavs have a glorious chance to pick up their first win over the Bulls this season and taking advantage of the depleted group should be tops on their list. One of Cleveland’s four home losses was delivered by the Bulls in coach Tyronn Lue’s debut. The Cavs are 22-4 SU but only 13-13 ATS at The Q this season. Rose and Gasol will do their best to keep Chicago in the game, but the Cavs have the firepower and bench to withstand whatever the Bulls try to do.
Cleveland 113, Chicago 103
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