Cavaliers at Bulls
The Derrick Rose that makes clutch shots has returned and now the
Chicago Bulls are in position to open up a 3-1 lead when they host the
Cleveland Cavaliers in Sunday’s Eastern Conference semifinal matchup.
Rose banked in the decisive 3-pointer at the buzzer in Game 3 to give
Chicago a dramatic 99-96 victory and the emotional edge in the series.
Rose has been an up-and-down performer in this series, but Friday’s 30-point effort included the big-time play he used to make prior to his injury woes. “I don’t want to sound cocky,” Rose told reporters. “But that’s a shot you want to take if you are a player in my position. … And no, I did not call glass.” Cleveland forward LeBron James insisted his team will bounce back and not let the adversity alter the approach for Game 4. “I already know how we’re going to respond, the same way we did in Game 2,” James told reporters in reference to the Cavaliers’ lone win in the series. “Whether or not that results in a win, we don’t know, but I don’t have any doubt of how we will play on Sunday. We’re going to give ourselves a chance.”
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: Point guard Kyrie Irving suffered through a miserable 3-of-13 shooting performance in Game 3 with 11 points and zero assists. Coach David Blatt revealed afterward that Irving has a sore right foot that is hampering his play but James doesn’t want any part of excuse-making. “No one feels sorry for Kyrie because he’s hurting,” James told reporters. “We’re not going to make any excuses. He’s on the floor so he has to make plays. Obviously, from a competitive standpoint, it’s killing him inside because I know what type of competitor he is and I know what type of teammate he is.”
ABOUT THE BULLS: Power forward Pau Gasol departed Game 3 with a left hamstring injury and is questionable for Sunday’s game after experiencing issues in each of the last two games. “A couple minutes into the game, it started tightening up again,” Gasol told reporters. “I just tried to play through it as much as I could, but in the second half and third quarter it got worse so I couldn’t sprint.” Backup Taj Gibson, whose screen necessitated a defensive switch that allowed Rose to get in position to make the game-winning shot, will move into the starting lineup if Gasol is ruled out.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. James had 14 assists in Game 3 to move into fourth place on the NBA’s all-time playoff list with 1,073.
2. Chicago C Joakim Noah is 3-for-16 shooting in the series while averaging just 2.7 points.
3. Cleveland SG J.R. Smith made four 3-pointers and scored 14 points in his first action in the series after serving a two-game suspension.