LeBron off to 5th straight Eastern finals as Bulls go down without a fight in Game 6

LeBron James is headed back into familiar territory.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have earned their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2009 by eliminating the Chicago Bulls 94-73 in Game 6 on Thursday, putting the King in his fifth straight Eastern Conference finals matchup.

Once the Cavs got a handle on the game, entering the second half of the game with a substantial lead, the Bulls seemed to all but bow down to Cleveland. Or rather, Cleveland asserted a dominance that Chicago could not top. The Cavs played unselfish ball, with three starters racking up double-digit points and two posting double digits from the bench. James took a backseat and let his teammates shine. He finished with 15 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds - the fewest points he's ever posted in a series-clinching victory.

The Bulls simply did not bring their horns. Jimmy Butler put his team on his back, leading the Bulls in scoring with 20 points and five rebounds, but his attempts to hammer the net were futile, going 8-for-22. Derrick Rose managed 14 points, six assists and two rebounds, but missed all three shots he tried from deep.

Related: Thibodeau expects to coach Bulls next season, Rose wants him back

The Cavs' joy of clinching a spot in the conference finals was tempered by concern over Kyrie Irving, who re-aggravated his left knee injury in the second quarter after spending only 12 minutes on the hardwood. Although he was first probable to return to action, his status was later downgraded to doubtful.

Cavs coach David Blatt said after the game that Irving was sore, but that he'd be okay. Irving said that he'd have been back in the game had it not been a blowout, so he should be fine heading into the next round.

Turning Point

Early in the second quarter, the Cavs and the Bulls traded shots, with neither managing to pull away. That was until Bulls power forward Nikola Mirotic received a flagrant-1 foul for clotheslining Iman Shumpert, which spurred Cleveland on to a 17-4 run.

As a result, the Cavs entered the half leading 58-44, the largest cushion either team had managed up to that point.

Star Performer

Matthew Dellavedova decided this series was DellavedOVER.

No one expected the Cavs shooting guard to have such an impressive game, but he was a key factor in keeping Cleveland ahead .

Dellavedova led his team in scoring with a career-high 19 points in 25 minutes of action. The guard hit some of the smoothest 3-pointers of the series, finishing 3-for-6 from beyond the arc - including a beautiful three from 25 feet out in the fourth quarter - and sunk both of his shots from the charity stripe.

Highlight Reel

Never trust a pull-up jumper, wink and a smile

Bad news Bulls

• Pau Gasol recreates the Statue of Liberty dunk

Series at a Glance

Game 1: Bulls 99, Cavaliers 92 (Bulls lead 1-0)
Game 2: Cavaliers 106, Bulls 91 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Bulls 99, Cavaliers 96 (Bulls lead 2-1)
Game 4: Cavaliers 86, Bulls 84 (Series tied 2-2)
Game 5: Cavaliers 106, Bulls 101 (Cavaliers lead 3-2)
Game 6: Cavaliers 94, Bulls 73 (Cavaliers win 4-2)