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Derrick Rose Sinks Cleveland Cavaliers With ‘The Shot’ Part II

By Kristopher Grimes

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Long before Derrick Rose sank his game winner against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semis, another Bull stomped on the hearts of Cleveland…

The Cavs lead 100-99, there are 3 seconds left on the clock. The year? It’s 1989, and Craig Ehlo just made a driving layup to put the hometown Cavs up by 1. It’ll be Bulls ball coming out of the timeout, and the whole world knows the ball is going to Michael Jordan.

Yet somehow, someway, Jordan cuts free on the inbounds, gets the ball, jumps, shoots, and sinks “The Shot” to lead the Bulls to a 101-100 victory over the Cavaliers.

This mesmerizing jumper is an iconic play in sports history, and for every Cavaliers fan, a painful reminder of the suffering we have faced as a championship starved city. It’s right up there on the level with “Red Right 88” and the “The Drive” for the Cleveland Browns. Moments in Cleveland sports history where big playoff wins were within our grasp, only to be stolen in the game’s final moments.

And on Friday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers had a bit of deja vu. With the game tied 96-96, and three seconds left on the clock, an all too familiar scene was set up.

The Bulls had possession, and they had the hot player in Derrick Rose. Cavs’ coach David Blatt had to know that the Bulls would look to Derrick Rose for the final shot. LeBron James knew it. Kyrie Irving, too. We all knew it..and it didn’t matter.

May 8, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) makes the game winning shot as he is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second half in game three of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. at the United Center. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-96. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Somehow, just like Jordan, Rose found a seam. He created enough space and heaved up a shot. Then, by only the amazement of things that could only happen in Cleveland, the shot went off glass and in. Ballgame. The Chicago Bulls are up in the series 2 games to 1, and have once again driven a dagger into the hearts of Cleveland fans.

So what can the Cavaliers do to rebound from “The Shot” Redux? Well, first things first, they have to put it behind them quickly. Turn off ESPN, don’t watch the highlights, just move on. Game 4 now becomes the most important game in this series, and all of the attention of the team should be directed toward that. No way can we come back home down 3-1.

Now unlike the series in 1989, this playoff series is far from over. Chicago is up 2-1, but the Cavaliers have proven that they still have the potential to dominate these Bulls like they did in Game 2.

That said, the Cavs have worked themselves into a corner. Kyrie Irving has struggled since going off for 30 points in Game 1, scoring a quiet 21 in Game 2 and a mere 11 points in Game 3 on 3-of-13 shooting. It was revealed Irving has been playing with a foot injury, which means more adversity has been heaped on this team. Can they overcome?

LeBron James has suffered from poor decision making, averaging 6-plus turnovers per game this series, and he hasn’t shot the ball well enough. The superstars are not playing consistent basketball.

LeBron needs to spend time in the gym working on his jump shot, and time with a string tied to a basketball. For the Cavs to have a shot, LeBron needs to be as effective a jump shooter and dribbler as he is a passer. They need him to hit his 3’s and limit the turnovers. In the two losses, LeBron had 9 assists to 6 turnovers and shot 9-of-22 in Game 1. He had 14 assists to 7 turnovers in Game 3 with 8-of-25 shooting.

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That’s not going to get it done. LeBron is at his best when he’s playing more efficient.

The Cavs must also find a way to get healthy. Kevin Love is already lost with a shoulder injury, Iman Shumpert has a groin strain, and now Irving’s foot, which has been bothering him since Game 2 against Boston.

This Cavs’ roster has never been a deep. They have 12 active players, but lets face it, only 9 of them (4 beyond starters) are actually reliable. This is a big problem right now because there is only one day between games right now. Theres not a lot of time to let swollen feet and pulled groins heal. The players are going to have to change their games to suit the gameplan and do the things needed to win.

Next: NBA Rumors: Love To Stay With Cavs; Possible Nike Deal In Works?

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