Random dribbles from the Cavaliers' 99-92 loss to the visiting Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday:
1. It could've been worse. But this is no time for big-picture stuff. This is the playoffs, and you have to win now. And all that matters now? The Cavs trail the series and no longer own home-court advantage.
2. That sounds like the end of the world, but it's not. The Cavs had eight days off since their first-round sweep of Boston. They played while missing both Kevin Love (shoulder) and J.R. Smith (suspension) for the first time since early January. They started Mike Miller, who had barely played since before the All-Star break. And as Coach David Blatt pointed out, they still had a shot to win.
3. Blatt added: "Our margin of error is gonna be smaller. So we have to be a little bit better at every part of the game. We're certainly not that far off."
4. The Bulls led by 16 in the second quarter. They broke open a 53-all tie by going on a 15-0 spurt in the third. For a large portion of the first three quarters, they just couldn't miss. Meanwhile, no one other than Kyrie Irving (30 points) could find the basket for the Cavs. And even Irving started the game 1-of-7 shooting.
5. You can go on and on with reasons why the Cavs could've won. They shot just 42 percent from the game, including 27 percent on 3-pointers. Yet they only lost by seven. And when LeBron James missed a left-handed layup late in the game, they trailed just 94-90. That would've cut it to two. Instead, the Bulls finished the job.
6. As James said, the first game in a series is always a "feel-out game." As James added, he could've been better. Yes, he finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists -- as well as took turns defending everyone from Derrick Rose to Pau Gasol to Jimmy Butler to Joakim Noah. If a member of the Bulls steps on the floor, odds are, James will take a stab at shutting him down.
7. But James also went just 9-of-22 shooting and committed six turnovers. Without Love and Smith, the Cavs really need LeBron to be at his best. He admittedly was not. And the Cavs still had a shot.
8. Blatt on a silver lining: "Every day and every game teaches you something. Once you walk into the fire, you're either going to hurt badly or be a lot smarter. Hopefully, we come out a lot smarter. Coming in, we knew what we were looking at. I guess we had to go through it to learn from it."
9. Starting Miller alongside James, Irving, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov was a bit curious. So was playing Matthew Dellavedova the entire fourth quarter. None of that is intended to question the coach -- as Blatt doesn't have a whole lot with which to work. He is trying to put things together on the fly, and frankly, it almost worked.
10. James, for one, is staying positive. This is not the first time he's been down 1-0 in a series. "Offensively, we will be much better going into Game 2 (on Wednesday). We played the game too fast and it kind of hurt us a little bit."
11. But regardless of game plans and adjustments, the Cavs will need someone other than James and Irving to score in Game 2. Shumpert did a nice job with 22 points, but Mozgov (nine points), Dellavedova (five), Tristan Thompson (four), Miller (three) and Jones (zero) combined to shoot 7-of-19. Someone unexpected will need to come to life.
12. That someone will probably have to be Thompson, and Blatt may want to consider starting him. In 15 starts during the regular season, Thompson averaged 12.6 points and 9.7 rebounds. Of course, he's also played well is his sixth-man role -- but this series probably calls for some sort of change.
13. Either way, all the Cavs really need to do is win Game 2. Going to Chicago with J.R. Smith returning and a win in their pocket would help them feel much better about things. Everyone knows you need to win on the road in the playoffs, and while Love is out for good, Smith is explosive enough to help the Cavs steal one.
14. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau is one of the best in the business. He believes there are five keys to winning: Defense, rebounding, limiting turnovers, sharing the ball and getting the ball down low before taking shots from the perimeter -- or playing "inside-out." Thibodeau said, "If you look at those things, it will usually give you the answer as to why you won or lost."
15. The Cavs didn't do any of those things consistently enough Monday. Part of it had to do with a new starting lineup, but part of it had to do with not getting enough from the men not named LeBron or Kyrie.
