LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers went out and took a 2-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks in blockbuster fashion on Wednesday. The Cavs broke numerous NBA three-point records as they routed the Hawks, 123-98. The series now switches over to Atlanta, where the Hawks are waiting. Can Atlanta chip into Cleveland’s lead? Or will it be the beginning of the end in another Cavs victory?
Read on as we take a look at the big Game 3 on Friday night. For more on the NBA Playoffs, check out our complete previews for the Heat vs. Raptors Game 2.
The Cavs went on a tear! They dropped jumper after jumper from basically everywhere on the floor en route to an NBA-record 25 three-pointers in their Game 2 win. It was the most threes in any regular season or playoff game in NBA history. The Cavs set a new NBA record for most made threes (18) and points scored (74) in a half. They also set the record for most three-point field goals in a quarter with eight in the first period.
J.R. Smith was easily the hottest Cavalier on the court with seven threes. Kyrie Irving and LeBron James each had four and Kevin Love hit three from beyond the arc. Irving and James have been the Cavs’ most dominant players on the court in this series. They’re averaging 20 and 26 points respectively in this series thus far.
James and Irving should be good to go for Game 3, after resting all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter in their blowout victory. Love struggled with his shot due to a right shoulder injury in Game 1, but still managed to grab 13 rebounds. Another all-around performance from the Cavs’ Big Three should help Cleveland take on more step toward a sweep.
The Cavs are 3-0 SU/ATS in their last three trips to Atlanta.
Betting on the Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks were absolutely helpless in Game 2. They were thrashed by the Cavs 123-98 as they head home with a 2-0 deficit. The Hawks will need to quickly forget their heart-wrenching loss as they attempt to chip into Cleveland’s series lead.
Kyle Korver and Kent Bazemore were nowhere to be seen in Game 2. Korver had seven points on 3 of 7 shooting, a slight improvement from his three points and one-shot attempt in Game 1. Bazemore had just five points on 1 of 7 shooting after scoring 16 in Game 1.
If the Hawks are to get back into this series, they’ll need their key players to step up. Jeff Teague made just 3 of 10 shots on Wednesday, while super sub guard Dennis Schröder scored just five points after his big 27-point Game 1. The Hawks can rely on their two talented big men. Paul Millsap scored 16 on 4 of 8 shooting, while Al Horford had 10 points going 3 of 7 from the field.
Expect the Hawks to come out firing in this game. They’ve been excellent at home in the playoffs, winning all three of their home games in a six-game series win over Boston in the first round. They’re also 4-1 ATS in their last five games at Philips Arena dating back to the regular season.
