Thanks to a pair of big-time performances from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, the Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business in the series opener. Now, they’ll aim to replicate that success again for tonight’s crucial Game 2. Can the Cavs do so? Or will the Atlanta Hawks steal one on the road? Read on below for a detailed breakdown of this matchup.
If you’re craving for some NHL Playoff action as well, click here to check out our preview of Game 4 between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.
You have to hand it to the Atlanta Hawks. They refused to go down without a fight despite facing an 18-point deficit in the third quarter. The Hawks rallied back, and even gained the lead in the final period. But unfortunately, they couldn’t put the ball through the net down the stretch.
Well, on the bright side, the Hawks now have a better idea on how to play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2. The biggest adjustments for Atlanta would be to make sure to step on the gas right at the start, and tighten up their defensive coverage around the perimeter.
The Hawks allowed the Cavs to outscore them by 11 points in the opening period, and also surrendered a total of 15 three-pointers. That cannot be the case again, needless to say.
Hence, look to Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap to lead the charge for the Hawks offensively. Both were limited to just 25 points combined in the opener, but they should be able to respond in a big way later.
Teague is averaging 15.3 points and a team-high 5.7 assists the previous seven games. Millsap, meanwhile, has been a beast on both sides of the court. He leads the team in scoring (16.4), rebounds (9.4) and blocks (2.9) in the same stretch.
Over on defense, the top priority is to force the ball out of the hands of LeBron James or Kyrie Irving. Those two can’t be stopped when you play them one-on-one. And so, the Hawks have to constantly communicate on defense whenever James or Irving is carrying the ball.
Atlanta, which is giving up just 98.9 points this season, is 4-6 SU and 3-7 ATS in its last 10 road games.
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James is just too good. The King made sure that his Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t crumble especially during the Atlanta Hawk’s late-game comeback in Monday night’s opener.
James filled up the stat sheet with 25 points, seven boards and nine dimes. More importantly, he got some crucial buckets in the final few minutes of the game. Yes, this guy was clutch and the Cavs need him to stay that way in tonight’s Game 2.
Besides James, the Cavs will surely look to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love for some more offense. The two stars racked up 21 and 17 points, respectively, in Game 1. But Love, in particular, went just 4-of-17 from the floor. He’s got to be more accurate.
Also, you can’t forget about the impact that the pair of J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson provides the Cavs. Those two have been very productive—in their own ways—this postseason.
Smith is putting up 13.2 points and has torched opponents from beyond the arc (.525 3P%). Thompson, meanwhile, has been a monster around the rim. He’s not much of an offensive threat, but has managed to give Cleveland a number of extra possessions and second-chance points with 4.6 offensive rebounds per outing.
Cleveland is 8-2 SU and 6-4 ATS in its previous 10 games at Quicken Loans Arena.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cavs (-7) take Game 2, but they don’t cover the spread.
