Final Score: Cavaliers 96, Bulls 94

The good news for the Cleveland Cavaliers is that they will have several days of rest to prepare for the Boston Celtics in round 2, after they defeated the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 to win their first round series 4-1.

The bad news for the Cavs is that they might desperately need it, after their league MVP star appears to be bothered by an elbow injury.

LeBron James needed just 12 field goal attempts to score 19 points and come 1 assist shy of a triple double while leading his team to victory. He had 19, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 blocks while getting to the free throw line 14 times. However, he shot his last free throw with his left hand, after his right elbow remained in pain at the end of the game.

"It bothers me because I don't know what it is," said James about his injured right elbow. "Hopefully it doesn't continue to bother me. But I'm not concerned. Cleveland fans have nothing to worry about. They have no reason to panic. I don't think it's that serious. I don't know what is up with it, but I'm ready to play," he said.

That quote is very encouraging from James. But then again, he is no doctor and there is an MRI on the way that will be more important information to have.

LeBron's performance tonight was that of a distributor and crunch-time scorer, the type of game that he can play this postseason and still get victories now that his cast of teammates is more talented than ever.

But with the Boston Celtics looming in round 2, any injury to LeBron's playmaking arm could prove killer. The Celtics are always a tough opponent for Cleveland, and James has needed some of his highest scoring games in recent memory to lead his team to victories over Boston.

In Tuesday's Game 5 victory, Antawn Jamison led the Cavs in scoring with 25 points. Shaquille O'Neal had 14 points and 8 rebounds, and Delonte West contributed 16 points off the bench. Mo Williams had a poor game, scoring 7 points on 2 for 13 shooting.

Cleveland is ready for their next challenge, the Boston Celtics in round 2.

As for the Bulls, Chicago is going home in round 1 for the second straight season. This team is on the rise with budding superstar Derrick Rose and a strong core of young players. But uncertainty remains with their head coaching position in the future.

Current coach Vinny Del Negro has led the Bulls to consecutive playoff appearances and seems like he has the attributes of a solid head coach. But he and Bulls management have had a well-documented series of run-ins and philosophical disagreements. The most noteworthy transgression of the relationship came at the end of the regular season when Bulls GM Jon Paxson and coach Del Negro got into an apparent physical altercation, including shoving and swinging. Fistfights at the end of a season are not the way to get on management’s good side.

It’s very likely that Del Negro will be replaced by next season. The Bulls job is a coveted position, as a team with a good young nucleus and lots of money to spend this summer on the star-studded free agent class.

We’ll see what happens with Chicago this summer. They put up a valiant effort in this series against the NBA’s top team, and Derrick Rose has developed into a bonafide superstar point guard by the end of his second year.

The Cavaliers move on with concerns about their star’s elbow, and James’ progress will be updated in the coming days. The Bulls are going home with questions about their coach that should be answered in the coming weeks.

Look for more information about LeBron James’ elbow in the next few days, while Cleveland and Boston prepare for a heated battle in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.