Cavs make a comeback bid in the fourth quarter, but can't catch Chicago.
View full sizeAntawn Jamison found shooting room over Chicago's Taj Gibson during the first quarter of Saturday night's game at the United Center.Steve Aschburner
Special to The Plain Dealer
CHICAGO -- For a lot of people, Saturday was all about resolutions. For the Cavaliers, it was another day of no solutions.
The end result for both the Cavs and too many civilians: Meet the new year, same as the old year.
A roster riddled with injuries and a miserable third quarter left the start of 2011 looking very much like the end of 2010 for the Cavaliers, who lost, 100-91, to the Chicago Bulls Saturday night at the United Center.
The Cavs (8-25) missed 18 of their 21 shots in the third quarter and got outscored, 32-9, in what ranks as their worst offensive period of the season. Their previous low had been the 13 points they scored in the third quarter at Oklahoma City on Dec. 12. This time, a 61-53 halftime lead fizzled against a Chicago team (22-10) that, having played Friday, looked to be pacing itself rather than sweating any real jeopardy.
Afterward, while the Bulls coaches and players answered questions about "winning ugly" and succeeding even on lackluster nights, the Cavs pointed to a shift in both teams after the game's first 24 minutes.
"I thought they came out a little upset at the way they played in the first half," coach Byron Scott said, "and I thought we came out like we were happy with the way we played in the first half. They just basically took it to us, and we have to react to it a lot better than what we did."
Center Anderson Varejao (fractured cheek), Mo Williams (left hip sprain) and Daniel Gibson (left thigh bruise) and forward Joey Graham (right quad strain) all were out for Cleveland, which lost its sixth game in a row and 14th straight on the road. That its patchwork lineup was able to last as long with the Central Division leaders might have been surprising –although the Bulls seemed to know they could win with three quarters tied behind their backs.
The Cavs, by contrast, thought they could win. Maybe.
"As long as I'm on the court, I believe I can win the game," said forward Antawn Jamison, who scored 19 points but missed all five of his attempts in the second half. "I don't care who's out there with us. It's been a couple of stretches that really dictate the outcome of the games and, once again tonight, the third quarter was the difference."
It wasn't just 54.8 percent shooting that had Cleveland sitting comfortably at 61 points at halftime. It was defense that earned the visitors a two-point edge, 26-24, in scoring in the lane to that point. The Bulls owned that category in the third, 16-4.
Beyond shutting down the Cavs finally with defense that former Celtics guru-turned-Chicago head coach Tom Thibodeau could feel good about, the Bulls got more determined in attacking the basket. It was a lethal combination, with Chicago winning for the 13th time in 15 games.
"They were more aggressive than we were," Jamison said. "There were off-balance shots. Not going to the basket. They did a great job of limiting us to one shot, and then they were very aggressive going to the basket. Pick-and-roll. Derrick Rose dictated the game like always, but we kind of sat there and took their aggressiveness, and we didn't match it at all."
Cleveland did get to within three points, 92-89, with 2:48 left. But a layup by Rose got the Bulls cushion and Anthony Parker's three-point attempt with 1:15 left spun out. The Cavs tried to catch up in the final minute by sending Chicago shooters to the foul line -- the Bulls rank 28th in free-throw accuracy -- but their 6-of-10 was enough when the Cavs got no field goals over that final 2:48.
"We got it together," said Powe, Cleveland's fill-in for Varejao. "We started talking. We mixed up our defenses. And once we shut the paint off again, it was back to making them shoot jumpers. I ain't saying they're not a good jump-shooting team, but you'd rather for them to shoot jumper than getting in the lane, dishing it to [Carlos] Boozer and then Rose dunking it or laying the ball up every time."
The Bulls did enough damage in the third that they could win while missing 12 of 15 shots and six of 15 free throws in the fourth. Chicago also could survive five-point production from its center and shooting guard because Rose, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer all scored 20 or more.
"We'll take the wins any way we can get them," Thibodeau said. "We know we have to improve in a number of areas."
The Cavs, at this stage, would settle for one or two. They did at least get solid understudy play from Powe, as well as Manny Harris and Ramon Sessions as the starting backcourt. They all scored in double figures, while J.J. Hickson topped the Cavs off the bench with 21 points.
They also hung in well enough that they again could blame a certain stretch and pinpoint their failings, rather than breaking out the broad brush.
"The one thing I do like is the character of this team," Jamison said. "We didn't let that [32-9 in the third] get into our psyches. We stayed positive. We still played hard. Those are things you want to do whether you're up or down. We just dug ourselves a hole we couldn't get out of."
Steve Aschburner is a writer for NBA.com