For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Monday’s Game 1 win against the Atlanta Hawks was a mix of good and bad. The Cavaliers raw talent is, more often than not, enough to get the job done.
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With Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving healthy and well-rested following a first-round sweep of Detroit, James and the Cleveland Cavaliers enter their series against the Hawks as overwhelming favorites to return to the Eastern Conference finals.
“It’s the game in between the games that people don’t see”, James said. The Hawks tied the score at 86-86 with 6:29 remaining but were unable to take the lead when they came up empty on three straight possessions. “If you are playing somewhat of a four-on-four game, then the looks and the opportunities for everybody else should be high-quality”.
LOVE HURTS: Love, whose dislocated left shoulder ended his first postseason a year ago, banged his right shoulder in the fourth when he pump-faked Bazemore into the air and drew contact while shooting a 3-pointer.
The best player on the floor in Game 2 was Draymond Green, who finished with 17 points (on 20 shots), 14 rebound and seven assists. They used guard Dennis Schröder’s ability to hit shots when Cleveland defenders went under screens, alternated nicely with Schröder’s slithery drives inside as the basis for a 16-2 close to the third quarter.
For the Hawks, the question is whether they can win the series without the scoring of Korver. Atlanta came in 65-16 in the postseason since 1950-51 when holding opponents to under 40 percent shooting. It’s not just us.
TWITTER TOUGHNESS: Bazemore doesnt like James and vice versa.
“Just giving us extra possessions, defending guys that are sometimes bigger than him, defending guys that are sometimes smaller than him”, James continued.
Bazemore relishes the chance to match up with James and needs an edge to do so. “You can take a hit, but I feel good”. You have to do the same to hang in there..
Given the heated tenor of last year’s Cavs-Haws series, though, Schroder and Dellavedova figure to be hot spots worth watching. When the Hawks made their run in the fourth quarter, the Cavs had answers.
Delly has actually been a thorn in our side, Bazemore said. We definitely play well that way and something we’re going to use. He plays with a chip on his shoulder. Im sure hes not trying to take guys out..
The Cavaliers almost gave a game away, then won going away. In fact, Schroder made just three 3s in the Hawks’ first-round series against the Celtics and had only 12 career postseason 3s prior to Game 1.
Lue, who played professionally for 11 years and was promoted from associate coach to become David Blatt’s successor January 22, said he models his approach after former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson. The biggest points came on a three-point play by James – he had been scoreless in the quarter – that put the Cavs up 95-88 with 2:09 left. Irving added 35 points in the Cavs 109-94 win.
For one very brief moment it looked like the Hawks were finally about to get their breakthrough against the Cavaliers.
James does this specific workout at a speed and intensity I couldn’t possibly match, just to prepare him for situations like the end of Game 1, where the difference between finishing a layup and just going to the line for two free throws – where James is shooting just 73.1 percent for the season and 74.4 percent for his career – can mean the difference between winning and losing.
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Millsap said the change happened naturally. The actual has never really matched the hypothetical – what should be a brilliant combination of overlapping offensive skills and talents is, instead, far too-often a halting, gear-grinding, contraption. We struggled on the offensive end, defense was our staple.
