This game sees the 2-2 Chicago Bulls take on the 2-2 Cleveland Cavaliers at The Quicken Loans Arena. SHORT INTRO. Chicago Bulls C Drew Gooden PF Tyrus Thomas SF Luol Deng SG Thabo Sefolosha PG Derrick Rose Key Bench Players: Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni, Joakim Noah @ C Zydrunas Ilgauskas PF Ben Wallace SF LeBron James SG Delonte West PG Mo Williams Key Bench Players: Daniel Gibson, Anderson Varejao, Wally Szczerbiak, Sasha Pavlovic Cleveland Cavaliers Key Matchup: SF - Luol Deng v LeBron James For me personally this matchup has added value; it pitches team vs country against each other - LeBron James being the star of my favourite team the Cavaliers and Luol Deng being the star of my nation, Great Britain. Both players are good scorers and pretty good rebounders, but both have had relatively slow starts to the season. Whilst Deng is not yet in the same class as LeBron, he is taking on the mantle of leading the Bulls and, if he can return to form, he is a really nice piece. He's big and pretty strong, which is always beneficial when facing LeBron, but he could struggle on the defensive end which could lead to Andres Nocioni being called in for extened minutes. Bulls' Keys to Victory Frustrate LeBron James - teams would usually try to do this by sending him to the free throw line, but this could be a problem since he hit 13 of 15 from the line against the Mavs on Monday. However, he has been an atrocious shooter from long range this season. His career average of 32.3% is not great, but he is yet to make a three point this season from 11 attempts. The Bulls will have to try to get LeBron to shoot from long range and hope he doesn't get hot from the floor, else they could be in serious trouble. Due to his slow start and the Bulls' generally pretty small team, I can really see him coming up big tonight. Make smart shots - the Bulls have so far this season only managed 40% from the floor, and are playing a very good defensive team in the Cavaliers, who have only allowed 88.5ppg this season. If the Cavs play tight defense, the Bulls will have to play smart if they are to win. Hit the boards - I sense that this game could be won and lost on the boards. The Bulls grab 45.3 boards per game, giving up 43.3 whilst the Cavs average a lower 43.8 boards but give up just 35.3. Whichever team dominates the boards tonight will have a huge advantage, as both team rely strongly on their boards. Cavaliers’ Keys to Victory LeBron needs a big game - this is a less a key to victory in this game than it is a key for the season. LeBron seems to be due a big game, and I think there's a good chance of it happening tonight. He averages 29 points, 6 boards and 6 assists against the Bulls, and there's scope for tonight being huge. He finally hit his free throws on Monday, so the Bulls could be scared to "Hack-a-Bron" which could lead to him getting lots of shots around the bucket. If he can start hitting his outside shot, tonight could be devastating. Hit free throws - a big difference for the Cavs against the Mavs was their free throw shooting. It was still not awe-inspiring, but at 78% it was a lot better than their average. A solid free throw shoooting game gives the other team something to think about when deciding whether to foul or not. When the Cavs shoot well from the line, they are a much stronger team and rarely get beaten by even moderately big margins, so if they can hit them tonight, they should be well on their way to victory. Play stifling D - the main difference for the Cavs on Monday? Their defence. So far this season their defence has been good but not great. On Monday, it was great; the were in the Mavs' faces, they got 6 more steals than the Mavs, and held them to 41% shooting from the floor. If they can continue in this manner tonight, I have no doubt that they will comfortably beat the Bulls, just as they did the Mavs. Hit the boards - see above. Prediction LeBron has not missed any of the 22 games the Cavs have played against the Bulls since he entered the League. The Cavs have won 12 of these meetings, averaging 95.7 points per game to the Bulls' 83.7. LeBron averages 29-6-6 against the Bulls, but a much better figure could be on the cards tonight, as he will be determined to put on a show for the hometown fans, given his slightly lacklustre performances of the season so far. Interestingly, only 4 of the 22 games in which the two teams have played over the past five seasons has been decided by five or fewer points. I expect tonight's game to be no different - I think the Cavs should win comfortably. 86-102
