The Cavaliers opened the playoffs with four straight wins over Detroit and made short work of the Hawks as well in a series that mirrored last year’s conference finals. Hitting 16 threes off 43.2%.
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At the start of the second half, Love continued to be in rhythm from three-point range and knocked down four of his seven looks from beyond the arc, which helped the Cavaliers build an 81-77 lead over the Hawks after the third quarter.
“They gave us everything they had these last two games”, Cavaliers superstar LeBron James said of the Hawks. A late bucket from Dennis Schroder cut the deficit to one, but Atlanta wasn’t able to convert on their final possession as the Cavs held on for the win.
Kevin Love had a monster night with 27 points (8/15 from three) and 13 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers.
The Bucks scored just 11 points in the fourth quarter, losing a lead – and the game – to the Toronto Raptors 111-90 Saturday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Cavaliers scored only 19 points in the fourth quarter but still won because they made key stops when they had to.
So now the Cavaliers get to sit back and rest again while awaiting the outcome of the Miami-Toronto series. After the Hawks got a stop on the other side of the court, Schroder drove to the basket to try and take a lead with three seconds, but a double team by the Cavs stopped Schroder and resulted in a jump ball. With the game on the line, the Hawks went with Schroder and kept Teague on the bench. The Raptors now lead 2-1.
“We know Atlanta is a tough team, and the closeout game is the hardest game”, said coach Tyronn Lue, who took over the Cavaliers during the season after David Blatt was sacked.
LeBron James added: “I’ve always believed we were destined for something great”. “Three-point shots are a killer, man”.
Teague wasn’t much of a factor, scoring just five points. According to ESPN, the victory ties the record for the for the longest active playoff win streak vs.an National Basketball Association opponent in postseason history.
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The Warriors were still without reigning MVP Steph Curry, who sprained his right knee in Game 4 of the team’s first-round series against Houston. The Hawks offense showed up in Game 3 and 4, but the Cavaliers were too overpowering for the second year in a row.
