Game 2: Bulls @ Cavaliers - Mon, Apr 19, 8:00pm [TNT]

[L&H_05]

Every time LeBron hit a 3 I kept screaming Ehlo...

[kenneth9265]

Yeaaaa...The Cavs won, but a poor game for the Cavs....Have to play much better in Chicago...

[L&H_05]

Yea, our defense was weak.. We were hot and hitting shots, but we also didn't play good defense... Bulls aren't that good to be putting up 100+ on our floor... Not at all..

[gflem]

The Bulls took Shaq out of the game tonight, but what bothered me more was that Jamison was almost a non-factor. He is the guy that will have to make a difference during the playoff run. He cant be tentative. We have all seen him torch our team in the playoffs, we know he can do it, and he has to step up for the Cavs to get where they want to go.
That said, we played a so-so game and still won by 10. Can the Bulls play any better than they did tonight? I really dont think so. But the adrenaline will be high for them Thursday being at home, so the Cavs better be ready from the opening tip or they could drop game three if they arent.

[Billtb]

Joakim will be happy... he won't have to come to Cleveland again until next season

[Benedict_Boozer]

The Bulls took Shaq out of the game tonight, but what bothered me more was that Jamison was almost a non-factor. He is the guy that will have to make a difference during the playoff run. He cant be tentative. We have all seen him torch our team in the playoffs, we know he can do it, and he has to step up for the Cavs to get where they want to go.
That said, we played a so-so game and still won by 10. Can the Bulls play any better than they did tonight? I really dont think so. But the adrenaline will be high for them Thursday being at home, so the Cavs better be ready from the opening tip or they could drop game three if they arent.

I agree. Jamison put up decent numbers even tonight, but he's not "impacting" the game as much as you'd like to see. Meaning he isn't making the Bulls adjust or account for him defensively. When he is guarded by a slow guy like Brad Miller - attack off the dribble. Post up aggressively against Taj Gibson, etc. Just in general he needs to be alot more assertive out there. We are letting CHI off the hook having him float around doing nothing for long stretches.

Also would like to see him hit the boards harder.

[B Mac]

Noah had a career game and the Bulls still lost by 10. Odds are against him playing that well again. If anything this may give the Bulls enough hope that they make one of the next 2 games close, but Im still expecting a sweep.

[SashAlex]

You still need LeBron 100 % to win games, guys. You're the clear favourite not only in this series, but don't expect a light life for your team in Chicago, let alone a sweep.

Ask the Celtics...

[tidho]

This game followed the recipe for a Cavalier loss. In hte next couple rounds it would be a loss.

Its always bad news when LeBron is looking to score out of the gate. Rose effectively attacked getting Mo out of the game and putting the ball in LeBron's hands up top. That's bad news.

Some critisism of Jamison is a bit unwarented. The Bulls wouldn't play Noah outside on him knowing he'd be abused. Unfortunately with Shaq's foul trouble we weren't able to attack Noah inside. Then down the stretch we played small, Jamison didn't get the minutes.

Congrats to coach Bown for finding a lineup that worked and sticking to it.
Huge impact by Moon.

I'd like to see them go big (Shaq, Andy, Jamison, James, West) for stretches next game just to keep them off the boards.

[KING JAMES1978]

You still need LeBron 100 % to win games, guys. You're the clear favourite not only in this series, but don't expect a light life for your team in Chicago, let alone a sweep.

Ask the Celtics...

Maybe Bulls have a chance to win a game in United Center but sweep is also a possible scenario..I think Cavs game-to-game they'll be better....

[kenneth9265]

I am more comfortable with Lebron getting his teamates involed in the first and third quarters, scoring in the second, while closing the last 8 mins of the 4th quarter. That is the usual recipe for sucess for the Cavaliers.

[TheOUTLAW]

Personally I thought it was all the little BS touch fouls that ended up taking Shaq out of the game early that hurt quite a lot. It's funny that I don't hear fold complaining about the reffing when if you look at the highlights of LeBrons drives he is fouled with each one and he doesn't get a call while it seemed quite the opposite for Chicago. Eh, we still won pretty comfortably.

Sure Moon hit 4 of 5 but geez, if you aren't going to guard him at all at the 3, he's supposed to shoot that well. So should Mo, Delonte and Antawn.

[kenneth9265]

Mo need to step up and get back as the #2 or #3 option on the he floor. He is regressing back to last years shell of a player that he was....

[gflem]

Mo is also going head to head with their best player which doesnt happen very often. And the Bulls have quick active big men to rotate on D when Mo drives to the hoop. Noah is a good shot blocker as well so Mo ends up leaving his feet and not knowing where he is going with the ball on a lot of his drives so far. Which of course leads to turnovers and his shots being blocked and altered.
Then he seems to lose confidence and that affects his entire game. Mo needs to get back to using his floater in the lane and not try to match what Rose is doing. Let the game flow and pick his spots, play to his strengths and not try to do too much. That is what Lebron is for. Lebron will carry this team obviously, but Mo needs to push the ball when the opportunity presents, use his picks to get into the lane and use the floater when it is there and kick out when it isnt.

[kenneth9265]

Whatever it is with Mo, I wish that he would snap oi it... I also need Jamison step up and be have the spunk that he had in Washington. He much to quiet and unemotional to be the calibar of player that he is.