Opposing teams should learn a valuable lesson: Never try to harm Iman Shumpert.
Bulls power forward Nikola Mirotic clotheslined Shumpert on a drive to the basket with 5 minutes, 19 seconds remaining in the second quarter of Game 6 in Chicago.
After Shumpert did a quick check to make sure everything was still attached, he went on a run that turned a nip-and-tuck game into a blowout.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Shumpert ignited a 13-2 run in the next 2:33. He scored nine of his 13 points in the scoring binge, as the Cavs lead grew from 42-40 to 55-42.
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I think that was the wrong guy to clothesline in his hometown, Cavs coach David Blatt told the media after the Cavs 94-73 victory. He is really a tough guy besides being a heck of a basketball player. It seemed to really wake him up.
Not to mention the Cavs.
They closed out the Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals, 4-2. They begin the conference finals at 8:30 p.m. May 20 in Atlanta. The Hawks clinched their series May 15 against the Wizards, 4-2.
Everyone needs to be inspired by something, Shumpert said. At that moment, instead of trying to win the fight, I wanted to win the game.
Still, he wasnt thrilled with Mirotic, who was assessed a flagrant-1 foul.
Oh, yeah, that wasnt smart, Shumpert said. I didnt like that at all. There was no need for it, and then to stand over me ... That wasnt smart.
He let the 6-9, 235-pound Montenegro native know about it, too.
I dont even know what I said, Shumpert said.
Shumpert started all six games of the series at shooting guard. The Cavs intended to start Shumpert when he was acquired from New York on Jan. 5. However, he was recovering from a shoulder injury at the time.
Veteran J.R. Smith, who came over from the Knicks with Shumpert in the three-team trade with Oklahoma City, took over at shooting guard and played extremely well.
Smith, though, was suspended for the first two games of the series. Hes come off the bench since hes returned.
Shumpert averaged 10.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block in the Chicago series. He shot 40.6 percent from the field (28 of 69) and 35.9 percent from behind the arc (14 of 39).
Being on a team like this, we have so many guns, he said. I think I still had an important role before Kevin Love went down and J.R. got suspended. My role was always big. Sometimes it didnt show up in the stat sheet.
When J.R. got suspended, I got more looks at the basket and it showed up on the stat sheet. People got more eyes on it.
Many experts were skeptical the Cavs would advance past Chicago after Loves season-ending surgery. However, the Cavs were the first team in the league to advance to the conference finals. They might be favored to get to the NBA Finals.
If anything, it (being dismissed) motivated us more, Shumpert said. Were doing this for (Love).
Shumpert, 24, got a special feeling from eliminating the Bulls in Chicago. He grew up in nearby Oak Park, Ill.
This was definitely big to close it out here, he said.
When you come from losing all those games, everything is about winning. I didnt try to make it about the Knicks traded me. This is my team now.
Shumpert has evolved into being an important cog in the Cavs pursuit of an NBA championship. He teams with Kyrie Irving to give the Cavs an exciting, young and talented backcourt. Irving will use the time off to try to regain his health, as hes been suffering from a sore left knee and a strained right foot.
This team has put in a lot of work, Shumpert said. We hang our hat on the defensive end. Were grinding it out.
Source: http://www.news-herald.com/sports/20150515/cleveland-cavaliers-iman-shumpert-gets-last-laugh-on-chicago-bulls
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