NBA Saturday night was supposed to be a bromance affair, as LeBron and the Cavaliers took on the Bulls and Bron's great friend and former teammate, Dwyane Wade. Well, that didn't come to fruition as LeBron was ruled out due to strep throat. We missed out on that aspect of the game, but the Bulls managed to take advantage of the Cavs not having their all-time great, defeating the LeBron-less Cavs 117-99.
Bulls Stars step up
If LeBron was playing or not, the Bulls would need their own set of star players to have productive games. Chicago stars Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler stepped up for the occasion, with Butler notching a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Butler struggled with his shot for most of the game, but he managed to find it when the Bulls needed it. Wade was close to a triple double of his own, and would've notched it if his teammate didn't knock away the last rebound he needed. Wade scored 20 points, notched 10 assist and 9 boards. He shot an efficient 50 percent from the floor which was critical.
The Bulls got a boost from a part of their game that is awful. Their three point shooting came alive this game, as they shot 50 percent from three-point range. It was a welcomed sight, as Chicago ranks dead last in three-point percentage in the entire NBA. It's expected though, as their roster doesn't really space the floor, with players like Rondo, Carter-Williams, and more, who aren't known for being deadeye shooters from deep.
Cavs struggle without Bron
The Cavs were going to have enormous shoes to fill, as you honestly can't replace James with anyone. Richard Jefferson got the start in place of him, and he did his best but produced only 9 points. Kyrie tried to pick up the slack, scoring 34 points. But that wasn't enough as the game was decided at the beginning of the fourth quarter when the Cavs trailed by 13.
None of the Cavs players were on the plus side in the plus/minus category. Besides Irving's 34 points, the Cavs struggled to find scoring elsewhere, with the person closest to Kyrie only scoring 14 points.
Cleveland struggles when LeBron doesn't play this season. LeBron hasn't played four times this season, and the Cavs lost all those games.
Replacing LeBron is nearly impossible, but the Cavs will need to find a way how to if he misses more games (which is highly doubtful). James will need that prescription to come in quickly as Cleveland's next game is Monday against the Bucks. The Cavs are planning to sign Deron Williams on Monday, so that can aid them as well.
The Bulls have had the Cavaliers number this season, winning all three of their matchups. Take into consideration the team hasn't been at full strength in two of those games, so there is reason not get ahead of ourselves. But a win is a win, and the Bulls are looking to use this game as momentum as they plan to move up in the east.
