This Is What J.B. Bickerstaff Told The Cavs Before Game Winning Defensive Stop
The Cavs and Bulls game went down to the last possession as DeMar DeRozan tried to complete a Chicago comeback with a walk-off jumper. Cleveland had the 103-102 advantage and just needed one stop in order to head back home with a win.
As Chicago's head coach, Billy Donovan was drawing up his play in the huddle, J.B. Bickerstaff had a clear message for his team:
"We made it difficult. But that final timeout, our conversation was 'We are the best defensive team in the league, we need one stop.' Our guys went out and (LeVert) did a hell of a job and then Donovan came over as well to contest without fouling and that's who we are."
Bickerstaff is certainly right about the Cavs being the best defensive team in the NBA. They came into the game with a 109.3 defensive rating which is the highest in the league. However, they have not played like the league's best defense over the last week.
They were still able to put all of that aside and broke up the Bulls' play and force DeRozan into a difficult fadeaway shot.
This was a big moment for the Cavs. It gives them a win on the road, which they've struggled to do all season, and proves that they can get a game-winning stop when they need it.
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