Cavs Vs Bulls: 5 Standout Stats From Game 5
That was a dominating performance by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ one and only King over the visiting Chicago Bulls. LeBron James showed why he is the NBA’s best player with a spectacular all-around game as the Cavs Vs Bulls Game 5 went the Cavs’ way, taking a commanding 3-2 series lead with a 105-101 win at the Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers now have a chance to close out the series on Friday at the United Center.
From James’ stat-stuffing-milestone-generating game to the 17-point lead that the Cavaliers enjoyed in the 3rd quarter, there’s no shortage of amazing things to talk about in this game for Cavs fans. Never mind that the Cavs nearly blew that lead, what’s important is the reminder to the players themselves that when they play their game, they can be quite unstoppable.
But what can we find out about the game if we look deeper into the stats? Let’s take an in-depth look at the Cavs Vs. Bulls Game 5.
1. LeBron James: 38 Points, 12 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 14-24 FG, 3 Blocks, 3 Steals, 0 Turnovers
Where do you start with this guy? LeBron’s historic night is full of statistical milestones that it’s hard to figure out what to talk about first.
In this game, King James tied the great Michael Jordan with 51 games of 30+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists.
After struggling with his shot the entire playoffs, James found his groove early in the game on his way to a stellar shooting and all-around performance the likes of which are rarely seen in the NBA. In this game, King James tied the great Michael Jordan with 51 games of 30+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists. ESPN’s Elias Says also reports that James is the only active player who owns three games with at least 35 points and 0 turnovers in the postseason.
The game was also LeBron’s 33rd time to lead his team outright in points, rebounds and assists in the playoffs, an NBA playoff, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Who’s second place? Larry Bird who’s way behind having done it 13 times but followed closely by Tim Duncan with 11.
LeBron led his team in Pts, Rbs, & Ast. The 33rd time in his playoff career, 20 more than anyone else in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/GBtGRJR3md
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 13, 2015
Want more? ESPN Stats and Info reveals that James’ 35+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists with 0 turnovers makes him the third player to accomplish the feat along with Larry Bird who did it with the Celtics in 1986 and Shaquille O’Neal with the Lakers in 2000.
2. Kyrie Irving: 25 Points, 5 Assists, 9-16 FG, 3-6 3-pts
Irving was also close to unstoppable in this game as he made his layups and threes early to support LeBron’s scoring barrage.
This was the Irving that we knew from the regular season, before leg injuries impacted his game. His 25 points marked the first time in three games that he scored 20+ points. But this was Kyrie’s best shooting game against the Bulls in these playoffs at 56% while also making 4-5 FTs including a clutch 4-4 FT shooting in the game’s final seconds. As James mentioned before, Irving has a warrior’s heart.
3. CAVS: 40-79, 50.6% FG shooting; BULLS: 34-86, 39.5% FG shooting
The Cavs were on fire after the Bulls started out strong with an 8-0 run to begin the first quarter. LeBron provided the spark that set the Cavs ablaze.
[LeBron’s] scoring down low ignited the team to a rare 50.6% shooting which represents their best shooting game of the entire 2015 playoffs.
This was James’ best game from the low post as he scored on a variety of moves including a rarely used turnaround jumper that opened up the game for the Cavs. His scoring down low ignited the team to a rare 50.6% shooting which represents their best shooting game of the entire 2015 playoffs. Even with the late-game run by the Bulls, the Cavs were able to hold Chicago to below 40% shooting.
4. CAVS: 12 Blocks; BULLS: 5 Blocks
The 12 swats from the Cavs highlighted how good they were defensively in the game punctuated by LeBron’s chasedown block of Derrick Rose whose shot would have tied the game late in the fourth.
The Cavs took turns blocking the Bulls’ shots from up top or from down low as James and Shumpert led the way for the team with three blocks each. The Cavs’ active defense resulted in the Bulls becoming tentative with their shots in the lane, causing them to miss shots from point blank range.
5. Joakim Noah 5 Fouls, Taj Gibson 5 Fouls, Kirk Hinrich 5 Fouls, Jimmy Butler 4 Fouls
Despite the Cavs (23) having more fouls than the Bulls (22), it was Chicago that had its stars in foul trouble early, keeping their usually stiff defense to lose its sting.
The Bulls couldn’t contest the Cavs’ shots as much as they could have for fear of committing their sixth fouls. Gibson, however, was ejected from the game not because he fouled out, but because he kicked Matthew Dellavedova who had a hand in how the fracas ensued. LeBron’s aggressiveness from the start of Game 5 caused many of the Bulls to foul him on his way to the basket, going to the line 12 times and making 9 of them.
Honorable mention:
Jimmy Butler: 29 Points, 9 Rebounds 3 Assists, 9-18 FG, 3-8 3-pt FG
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Where would the Bulls be without Butler? The NBA’s Most Improved Player showed why he is one of the most promising young players of the league with a quiet but very efficient game.
He fueled the Bulls’ run with timely baskets and key defensive plays which cut the Cavs lead from 17 to 2, entering the last minute of the game. If he had made that last three from the side, the Bulls’ comeback would have been complete. Fortunately for the Cavs, he missed but the shooting guard’s performance almost brought fear into the hearts of Cavs fans with a steady though unspectacular performance.