LeBron James vs. Bulls
IN PHOTO: May 4, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) is defended by Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22), guard Jimmy Butler (21) and forward Pau Gasol (16) in the fourth quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. REUTERS/David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

After a relatively long lay-off, the Cleveland Cavaliers started flat against the Chicago Bulls and paid dearly losing to the Chicago Bulls, 99-92 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Derrick Rose scored 25 points to lead his team and Pau Gasol added a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls, which needed six games to finish off the Milwaukee Bucks in their opening round series in the 2015 NBA Playoffs. Bulls rising star Jimmy Butler had 20 points while veteran shooter Mike Dunleavy chipped in 14 markers on 3-of-4 three-point shooting.

James and the Cavaliers easily defeated the Boston Celtics via a sweep in their own best-of-seven series but the early rest proved crucial in the opening game versus the Bulls as Cleveland fell early, 27-15 after the first quarter and had to play catch-up for most of the evening.

Without Kevin Love, who is out of the postseason because of a shoulder injury, Kyrie Irving led the way with 30 points and 6 assists. James had a near triple-double of 19 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists but missed 13-of-22 field goals.

The Cavaliers were also playing without the suspended J.R. Smith. Iman Shumpert started in his place and scored 22 points but the Cavaliers did not have any help from their reserves, which produced only 9 points.

The Bulls’ bench contributed nicely in the defensive-oriented game as Taj Gibson and Aaron Brooks added a combined 14 points—including key baskets when the Cavaliers were attempting a comeback.

Cleveland made multiple rallies but just could not get over the hump. After the solid first quarter from the Bulls, the Cavaliers cut down the lead down to five points, 49-44 at halftime and tied the game very early in the third quarter. However, the Bulls made another major run and carried an 81-70 lead entering the final quarter.

The Cavaliers chipped into the advantage early fourth and cut the lead to just three points multiple times but the Bulls badly wanted to steal the homecourt advantage in this best-of-seven series and held off the Cavaliers. Game 2 of the Bulls-Cavaliers series is on Wednesday still in Cleveland.

To contact author of this article, email j.quizon@IBTimes.com.au.

RELATED STORIES