James’ Traditional Skills

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Losing 7 to 5 wasn't an outcome that left the Cavaliers devastated. On one hand, the Bulls had a stronger record and held a clear advantage over the Cavaliers during the regular season. Playing on the Bulls' home court in the opening game meant that defeat was expected by many.

However, what left the Cavaliers feeling bitter was that they were outplayed for nearly the entire game by the Bulls, with no opportunity to mount a serious comeback. What made it even more frustrating was that Wang Chong, the superstar rivaling James, had a relatively quiet performance. He made 10 of 18 shots, scoring 26 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and dishing out 3 assists. In contrast, James had a triple-double with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.

This wasn't because the Cavaliers managed to contain Wang Chong, but rather because the Bulls didn't need him to push his limits to secure a win.

Like James, Monta Ellis, who was playing in his first playoff game, put on an impressive display. Using his speed, he relentlessly attacked the rim, scoring 22 points and contributing 5 assists while making 8 of 17 shots and 6 of 8 free throws.

Raja Bell hit 3 of 7 shots from beyond the arc and scored 15 points, adding 3 steals. Luol Deng chipped in with 14 points and 4 rebounds, and Tyson Chandler secured 11 points and 14 rebounds, rounding out the Bulls' starting five, all of whom scored in double digits.

On the other hand, aside from James' 32 points, only Zydrunas Ilgauskas, with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Drew Gooden, with 10 points and 7 rebounds, reached double figures for the Cavaliers.

This gap in overall team performance kept the Cavaliers at a double-digit deficit for most of the game, making it impossible for them to close the gap. Wang Chong, who had averaged 35.6 points per game in the regular season, finished with 26 points in this playoff opener.

With Wang Chong's ability, scoring 30+ points is effortless. However, this time it wasn't necessary.

Without the pressure of system tasks, Wang Chong didn't need to go for high scores. He understood that basketball is a team game. If he was the only one performing well, the team wouldn't always win.

Thus, during the regular season, Wang Chong had prepared for the playoffs by giving his teammates, especially the younger ones like Monta Ellis and Luol Deng, more opportunities to shine. The playoffs, with their high-stakes environment, were the perfect stage for them to gain experience and grow into valuable contributors.

Ellis didn't disappoint in this first game, proving to be a key factor in the Bulls' dominant victory.

The Cavaliers, down 0-1, were feeling the pressure. They had just witnessed Wang Chong, the regular-season scoring leader, not even break a sweat, yet they still lost.

The only fans who remained optimistic were James' most loyal supporters.

"Sure, the Cavaliers lost, but James didn't! Just look at his stats — a triple-double of 32, 11, and 11 in his first playoff game. How many players in the league can do that?"

"And look at Wang Chong. Without Kobe drawing defenders, his playoff scoring dropped to just 26 points. High regular-season scoring? That doesn't prove much. It's playoff performance that defines a star's true worth."

"The Bulls won only because the rest of their team was better than the Cavaliers. If Wang Chong were leading the Cavs, they wouldn't have even made the playoffs!"

These kinds of arguments relied on what-ifs, ignoring the facts.

After Wang Chong and Kobe's regular-season scoring duel, who still doubted his ability to score?

It's easy to talk about regular-season numbers, but scoring 35+ points per game isn't something everyone can do. If you're not the league's top scorer, it's hard to score at will.

Anyone who watched the game knew Wang Chong wasn't playing at full capacity. He didn't need to. Even with him holding back, the Bulls still crushed James' Cavaliers.

The claim that the Bulls were simply the stronger team wasn't accurate at the start of the season. Back then, fans and media were harshly criticizing the Bulls' management. Aside from Wang Chong, who on that roster had proven themselves?

Even Tyson Chandler, the highest-paid player on the team, had only averaged 8 points and 9.7 rebounds in his career.

While the Cavaliers' roster wasn't stellar, they did have James, an All-Star center in his prime (Ilgauskas), and they had acquired Larry Hughes, who had averaged 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists the previous season.

On paper, those two alone should've made the Cavs stronger than the Bulls.

Larry Hughes didn't perform well for the Cavaliers due to injuries and his struggle to adapt to James' ball-dominant playstyle. As a guard, Hughes needed the ball in his hands to maximize his impact, and even when playing with a dominant point guard like Arenas on the Wizards, his ball distribution wasn't as limited as it was in Cleveland.

Still, blaming Hughes entirely for his performance wasn't entirely fair.

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On April 25, Game 2 of the series was still held at the Bulls' home court. James once again posted strong stats: 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. However, his 10 turnovers and 41% shooting efficiency (10 out of 24) told a different story. His impact was a far cry from Game 1.

The rest of the Cavaliers didn't step up either. Hughes, under Bell's tight defense, managed only 16 points on 5 of 16 shooting, and Ilgauskas struggled, shooting 3 of 13.

This led the Cavaliers to score just 77 points, while the Bulls put up 94. Wang Chong had 28 points, Ellis scored 20, and Deng added 21. The Bulls won by 17 points, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

After two convincing double-digit victories, it was becoming clear that the Bulls were the far superior team, and it was only a matter of time before they moved past the Cavaliers in the first round.

However, the Cavaliers weren't ready to concede. At the post-game press conference, James remained defiant, claiming that their struggles were simply due to the adjustment to playoff basketball. He promised that when they returned to Cleveland, they would turn things around and win.

Home-court advantage does matter in the playoffs, and it can often tip the balance in a series. But even if the Cavaliers managed to win both games at home, the series would eventually return to Chicago. The Bulls would always have that advantage.

On April 28, Game 3 of the series began.

At Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavaliers came out aggressive, especially James. He constantly attacked the basket using pick-and-rolls, forcing Tyson Chandler into early foul trouble. Chandler had to sit with two quick fouls just three minutes into the game.

Without Chandler patrolling the paint, the Bulls' defense had holes, and the Cavaliers took advantage, scoring 32 points in the first quarter and leading by 6.

James was the driving force, shooting 6 of 10 and 4 of 6 from the line, contributing 16 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in the opening quarter.

The Cavaliers maintained their momentum in the second quarter, scoring 27 points and stretching their lead to double digits by halftime.

Cleveland's home crowd finally exhaled. It seemed like the Cavaliers were on their way to a win, and with that, a chance to even the series at 2-2.

Wang Chong, though, remained calm.

He understood two key reasons for the Cavaliers' first-half dominance. First, James had been aggressive in attacking the basket, forcing Chandler to play cautiously on defense. James had already racked up 28 points by halftime.

Second, the officiating seemed to favor James. He was getting to the free-throw line a bit too easily, with several calls going his way that could have been left alone. By halftime, James had attempted 10 free throws, though his poor shooting (6 out of 10) kept the damage minimal.

Wang Chong wasn't surprised.

This had become a common feature in games involving James, what many would come to refer to as a "7 vs. 5" scenario, where the referees gave him a helping hand.

Wang Chong understood the league's motives.

End of this chapter

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