The battle up front
The Bulls have played well in the paint this season. Chicago is averaging 44.7 points per game in the paint, which is good enough for 10th in the NBA. Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez have both played great in their starting roles, so look for the Bulls to attack Cleveland in the paint early in the first quarter.
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Cleveland starts a relatively small front court in Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. Lopez should be able to score over the smaller Thompson, and Gibson can punish Love with his back to the basket. Love’s ability to stretch the floor will pose some problems for Gibson, but the Bulls big man has proven he can guard almost anyone effectively in space over the years.
Chicago grabs the most offensive rebounds in the league at 13.8 per game. The stat is partially due to their poor shooting, but the Bulls need to dominate the glass in order to fully win the battle in the paint. Chicago will need to put forth their full effort on the defensive glass as well.
The Cavaliers play much more from the perimeter, especially when Channing Frye plays substantial minutes at center off the bench. Tonight’s contrasting styles place a heavy burden on the Bulls’ bigs and the rest of the roster to win the battles inside.