Bulls' Game 4 instant analysis

EYE ON HINRICH
The player to watch in Game 4 against Cleveland is Kirk Hinrich. The Bulls are 14-0 this season when he scores 16 or more points; 19-3 when he scores 14 or more points.

Obviously, Hinrich was a huge factor in Game 3 when he poured in 27 points and knocked down all 4 of his shots from 3-point range. The Bulls record when Hinrich hits at least 3 3-point baskets in a game: 10-1.

In other mild news today, guard Acie Law is inactive and Devin Brown will be in uniform. Law sprained his ankle late in Friday’s practice and had to be helped into the training room.

Sight seen in the press room: Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry sitting among reporters watching the Boston-Miami game. That’s one headline out of the way, “Cavs GM already looking past Bulls.” (That was a joke).

By the way, today’s media-room Internet password is related to Ron Harper, who was traded from Cleveland to the Clippers for Ferry, a regrettable move for the Cavs. Harper ended up joining the Bulls and winning three titles. Maybe the Bulls figured using Harper would mean bad karma for Cleveland.

More updates to follow throughout the game…

SHAQ-TASTIC START
Maybe Cavs coach Mike Brown was serious about trying to get Shaquille O’Neal more involved. Shaq got the ball four times in the post during the first five minutes. He scored twice and missed twice.

The Bulls are trying to push the tempo, which is smart. Kirk Hinrich has clanked his first two jumpers, which is not a great sign for the Bulls.

Eight minutes into the first quarter and LeBron James has yet to score. He just found Anthony Parker and Mo Williams for back-to-back threes, giving Cleveland an 18-14 lead. I’ve always felt the Cavs are more dangerous when everybody scores. When LeBron is holding the ball for 15 seconds, then throwing up a jumper as the shot clock expires, that’s when the Cavs are at their worst.

At the start of the game, Benny the Bull was lowered from the ceiling and beat on a drum while suspended about 50 feet in the air. He even hung there for another couple minutes when the game started.

Shaq picked up his second foul with 5:28 left, but was probably coming out soon, anyway. Cavs went on a quick 8-0 run as soon as O’Neal left the floor.

CAVS QUICKLY GO SMALL
While Anderson Varejao shot free throws at the 2:48 mark of the first quarter (missing both), Derrick Rose went over to say something to trainer Fred Tedeschi.

Just then, Hakim Warrick gets off the bench and makes his first appearance since Game 1. He’s guarding Antawn Jamison, not LeBron James like in Game 1.

LeBron finally gets on the board with 1:36 left in the first, hitting a lane runner while Warrick leans in with a poor effort to draw a charge.

Joakim Noah has 8 rebounds so far and just made a nice play, grabbing a defensive board in traffic, dribbling coast-to-coast and drawing the second foul on Anderson Varejao.

Thanks to that foul, Cleveland’s small lineup makes an early appearance, with a front line of James, Jamison and Jamario Moon. James celebrates by cutting off a pick for a basket-rattling thrown down.

End of the first quarter, Cavs 24-21. Bulls are shooting 32 percent (8 for 25), Cavs are at 45 percent (9 for 20). The Cavaliers' regular-season defense seems to have returned.

Bulls lead in rebounds 16-9, trail in points in the paint 10-4. Luol Deng leads the Bulls with 8 points, Derrick Rose with 6. Anthony Parker tops the Cavs with 7 points, while James has 5.

During the first quarter time out, the Bulls show Michael Jordan’s 1989 shot over Cleveland’s Craig Ehlo on the video board, complete with audio from Jim Durham.

CLEVELAND ON DEFENSIVE
To start the second quarter, the Bulls have both Joakim Noah and Brad Miller on the floor. On the Cavs’ first two possessions, Shaquille O’Neal misses a shot against Miller and Noah gets the rebound. That’s 11 boards for Noah a minute into the second quarter.

Power forward J.J. Hickson, Cleveland’s imaginary superstar, scores a basket, then quickly gets 2 fouls of his own. LeBron James made a quick trip to the locker room, without the trainer, so it looks like a routine pit stop.

No. 1 trend so far: Cavaliers defense is for real. Bulls are shooting 31 percent at the 8:44 time out in the second quarter and have 6 turnovers.

HINRICH HITS FIRST 3
A cheer of relief when Kirk Hinrich knocks down a 3-pointer at the 8:03 mark of the second quarter. Maybe he’ll add a few more.

A few seconds later, Joakim Noah picks up his second foul and is convinced it should have been on someone else, namely Flip Murray. Noah points at the scoreboard, imploring referee Mike Callahan to watch the replay, but it never airs.

The Cavs are in a fouling mood. Jamario Moon left with 3 fouls, then Delonte West needlessly fouls Hinrich to stop a fast break. That’s 5 on Cleveland, putting the Bulls in the bonus. Hinrich’s 2 free throws put the Bulls up 34-33 with 7:18 left in the first half.

Now Taj Gibson has 3 fouls, so Noah is back in with 2. Brad Miller knocks down a pair of free throws, pushing the Bulls to 11 for 12 at the line for the game.

GETTING AWAY QUICKLY
The Bulls trailed 47-46 with three minutes left in the second quarter, then Cleveland pulled out to a 62-52 lead at halftime after a parade to the foul line.

The opening minutes of the third quarter appeared to be the end of this one. While the Bulls missed a series of contested jumpers, the Cavs scored on most every trip and the lead quickly ballooned to 20 points. Either the Bulls can’t shoot or they can’t deal with the Cavaliers defense.

It's hard to imagine the Bulls getting enough stops to get back in this one.

CAVS PROVIDE BLUEPRINT
The Cleveland lineup offers a reminder of how the Bulls should be patient when they set out to improve the roster this summer.

The Cavs acquired three starters – Mo Williams, Shaquille O’Neal and Antawn Jamison – giving up nothing of value in return.

It’s almost ridiculous. Cleveland gave up Damon Jones and Joe Smith to get Williams in a three-team deal from the Bucks. They swapped a first-round pick and the rights to a past second-round pick to get Jamison. The Cavs also traded Zydrunas Ilgauskas, but got him right back in 30 days after a contract buyout. They used Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to take O’Neal off the Suns’ payroll.

My point is, the Bulls have two nice building blocks in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, and are hoping to add a star through free agency this summer. Beyond that, there’s no reason to rush into more acquisitions. Wait for a good value, because it's bound to come available.

LeBron James just drained a half-court shot at the third-quarter buzzer to make it 99-76. This might be the Bulls’ worst defense of the season. The home team should consider replaying that Jordan shot over Ehlo at the next time out.

FINAL NUMBERS = CAVS CAKEWALK
Cleveland wins 121-98, taking a 3-1 series lead. If anyone's planning ahead, Game 5 will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday on TNT.

LeBron James had an incredible triple-double with 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, knocking down 6 of 9 shots from 3-point range. Antawn Jamison tacked on 24 points.

The highlight for the Bulls was Joakim Noah piling up 21 points and 20 rebounds, the first 20-20 game in Bulls playoff history. Not bad.

Derrick Rose wasn't great, but still had 21 points on 9-of-20 shooting.

The other highlight for the Bulls was the Big Pookie himself, Aaron Gray, making the rounds in the locker room after the game. Gray, now with New Orleans, promised to look up Rose this summer. Seriously.

This might be the Bulls' last trip to Cleveland for a while, so see the sights while there's time.