Life has been so good for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs. They’ve been toying with the hapless Atlanta Hawks, who has yet to solve the Cavaliers’ excellent shooting form. With that said, will Cleveland be able to sweep Atlanta and remain undefeated in postseason play? Or will the Hawks rise up to the challenge and make Cleveland sweat for at least another game?
The Cavaliers are bringing brooms to Atlanta today. But will they be able to use it to sweep the Hawks? Well, they likely would if they continue their torrid shooting from downtown.
Cleveland went 21-for-39 from beyond the arc in its 121-108 drubbing of Atlanta in Game 3. That was after the Cavs’ set the postseason record with 25 threes in their 123-98 beatdown of the Hawks in the previous contest. The Cavs are simply treating the rim in this series as if it has the same size as the Cleveland Browns’ FirstEnergy Stadium. The Cavs are tops this postseason with 16.9 threes made per game on a scorching 46.6 percent shooting.
Not many team could stop Cleveland when the Cavs are shooting this good. Atlanta doesn’t seem to have the quickness to close out on Cleveland’s shooters who are always constantly moving and waiting for kick outs from the likes of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Speaking of James and Irving, the two had 24 points apiece in Game 4. Reserve forward Channing Frye, however, had one-upped both superstars, as the nine-year veteran had 27 points on 10-for-13 from the field, including 7-for-9 from deep.
Rebounding has also been a key component in the Cavs’ domination of Atlanta thus far. The Cavs are averaging 47.3 boards per game in the second round, while the Hawks are only mustering 38.7.
The Cavaliers don’t seem to be bothered when playing in Atlanta, as they are 4-0 SU and ATS in their last four games at Philips Arena.
Betting on the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta’s biggest problem is its defense. The Cavs are averaging 116.0 points on the series and just look unstoppable when they begin to heat up. That said, Atlanta has had their moments in Game 4, even going up 63-55 at one point in the contest. Atlanta’s got the experience and poise to deal with the circumstance they’re currently facing and with Kyle Korver coming back to form, the Hawks could be in their best form this series later today.
Korver, who didn’t start in Game 4 after struggling in the first three games of the second round, fired 18 points with five three-pointers. Al Horford and Paul Millsap, meanwhile, had 24 and 17 points, respectively. Horford, however, had only one rebound. He’s going to need to be extra active on the glass for Atlanta to survive another game. The Cavs killed in on the boards in Game 5, outrebounding the Hawks by a wide margin of 55-28.
