Cavs Vs Bulls: 5 Standout Stats From Game 4

For the second straight game a buzzer-beater decided the result of the game but this time, it was LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers who came away with the victory against the Chicago Bulls 86-84.

Cleveland surrendered homecourt to Chicago with a loss in Game 1, but James gave it back to them with a 20-foot jumper as the final buzzer sounded in Game 4. After Rose made one from three to give his team the lead in the series, LeBron had to win it for his team en route to tying the best-of-seven series heading to Cleveland for Game 5.

The Bulls could have had a commanding 3-1 lead in the series but they just couldn’t put the Cavs away after leading by double-digits in the third quarter. Before we head over to Game 5, let’s check out the stats and see how the game went to Cleveland in Game 4 of the Cavs vs Bulls series.

1. LeBron James: 25 Points, 14 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 10-30 FG, 2 Blocks, 1 Steal

The King had another off-night shooting the ball at 33% but it was his last bucket that bailed him and his team out of the dire predicament they put themselves in.

That buzzer-beater is James’ third in the last 15 years, the most of anyone in the entire NBA, even more than Kobe Bryant. ESPN Stats & Information says that James is shooting an unheard of 6-10 from the field “on go-ahead shots in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime.” That’s clutch shooting. Michael Jordan, James’ idol, was 5-for-11 in his career given the same situations.

LeBron played a complete game, nearly getting a triple-double in the process. No doubt he had to pace himself during the game knowing that he would be playing heavy minutes (41) but he still willed his team to a win despite another 8-turnover game. James continues to wow us even with a sub-par performance.

…James is shooting an unheard of 6-10 from the field “on go-ahead shots in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime.”

2. Cavs Run: 16-0 (2^nd Quarter), 11-0 (4^th Quarter)

10-0 or more runs are quite rare in this series but in two instances in Game 4, the Cavs went on 16-0 and 11-0 runs in the second quarter and in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.

Every time the Bulls went on to take a sizeable lead, including an 11-point lead in the third quarter, the Cavs answered with runs highlighted by strong defense and steady offense. LeBron was the catalyst as always as he led his team back from the brink of a blowout twice with timely passes, in-your-face defense (blocking one of Jimmy Butler’s jumper), and scoring just enough to put his team in the driver’s seat each time. J.R. Smith came alive with three three-pointers in the fourth quarter as well. More on J.R. later.

3. CAVS: 22-23 Free Throws, BULLS: 11-12 Free Throws

In a game that’s very close and with both teams struggling to score from the field (Cavs 39%, Bulls 36%), free-throw shooting made it possible for the Cavaliers to be in position to win the game.

The Cavs were clearly the aggressor with the limping Kyrie Irving taking the most attempts at the line for the team going 8-for-8, the most of any player in the game.

The Cavs doubled the Bulls FTAs, making 96% of them and only missing a single free-throw the whole game. Had Noah been called for the foul on LeBron with a few seconds left in the game, the Cavs would have attempted two more shots at the line. The Cavs were clearly the aggressor with the limping Kyrie Irving taking the most attempts at the line for the team going 8-for-8, the most of any player in the game. He may be injured, but Irving isn’t going down without a fight.

4. CAVS vs. BULLS: 5-25 (20%) vs. 9-21 (43%) 3-Pt Shooting, 7 STL vs. 4 STL, 15 TO vs. 8 TO

Many of the key stats were dominated by the Bulls based on the above stats which are keys to a victory for many teams but Chicago still came up short.

The Bulls perimeter defense, including another incredible defensive performance by Butler and the rest of the team against LeBron, was superb. They kept the Cavs from unleashing their three-point bombs and they also frustrated James into committing eight turnovers, the second time in two games that he’s had a huge turnover number. If not for the Cavs’ twenty-three free-throw attempts and efficiency from the line, the Bulls would be up 3-1 instead of tied with the Cavs 2-2.

5. Derrick Rose: 31 Points, 4 Assists, 11-23 FG, 2-5 3-pt FG, 7-7 FT

Another huge game for the Bulls’ star point guard as he nailed 48% of his shots, making a huge three and lay-up down the stretch to tie the game at 84.

If James hadn’t made the shot to win the game, we’ll be talking about Rose’s heroics once again, but this time to send the game into overtime instead of the outright win. D-Rose had a very good shooting game, his most efficient one since Game 3 of the Milwaukee series as his confidence in his shot is evidently growing. Next to the Cavs’ Smith, Rose had the best shooting game of any perimeter player, and he took twice more shots than J.R. did.

Honorable mentions:

Timofey Mozgov: 15 Points, 9 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 3 Blocks

Mozgov was huge in this game, not only with his usual rebounding but with timely shots in the paint in the fourth quarter.

His defense, along with Tristan Thompson’s in the paint, kept Noah and Taj Gibson from scoring much underneath, blocking three shots and contesting countless others in 39 minutes of action. But it was his offense late in the game that gave the Cavs another scoring weapon to ease the burden off of James and Smith.

More from King James Gospel

J.R. Smith: 13 Points, 3 Three-Pointers in the 4^th Quarter

Smith has never been one to shy away from big shots and that was on display in this game.

In the fourth quarter, with the Cavs rallying from an 11-point deficit, Smith nailed three shots from beyond the arc helping the team erase a double-digit deficit and turn it into a three-point lead heading into the last six minutes of the game. It gave them a lead that the Bulls would tie but one the Cavs would never relinquish. Clutch game from Smith.

Next: Irving With Knee and Foot Injuries, MRI Reveals