Official Game Thread: Hawks - Cavaliers GAME 1 (8:30 PM Tip!)

[High5]

This is why you'll never see much complaining about a lack of respect. The Hawks have to earn it. They prove everyone right when the ball slows down and they can only muster weak, inefficient shots. Rough night with some weak calls and JR going off, but this was still a very winnable game. They had another display of "heart" to come back at the end, which is great to have, but you need more than that to win these games. 

 

As for DMC, what more can you say? He's one of the most humble and hardest working guys in the league and you hate to see anyone go down like that. He's been doing the dirty work all year while his teammates got the accolades and he's been the one to show up the most come playoff time. Terrible thing to happen for the team during this playoff run and even worse for DMC with his big contract coming up. I have no idea what's going to happen there if it's as serious as it looked. Guys have come back quickly from seemingly horrible injuries before, though, so I still have a small amount of hope this is one of those cases. 

[Carmine]

Originally had Cavs in 7. After tonight and with DMC gone, I got Cavs in 6. Hawks aren't ready.

[ATLHawks3]

Pero officially lost me when we wasted that timeout because he had to tie his shoe. 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LDH66ja2Zc

 

 

This guy did not let a shoe prevent him from getting back into the game. 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Sucks.. No Andy & Kevin Love & an injured kyrie.

I think I speak for the entire fan base when I say you better tread mothafu*kin lightly on here tonight.

You're down 2 big men. We're down 2 defensive SFs. So I guess everything is even on the injury front.

Just tread lightly tonight.

[HorfordMustang]

Fluke win.  JR Smith will never hit twice as many threes as our entire roster ever again

 

As I recall, we lost game 1 last series at home and still closed out in 6, did we not?

 

I predicted a 7 game hawks series victory, and i'm sticking with it.

[DJlaysitup]

 

Originally had Cavs in 7. After tonight and with DMC gone, I got Cavs in 6. Hawks aren't ready.

 

If DMC is gone (and man I hate that!!)...we could be looking at a sweep.

[APE]

If DMC is gone (and man I hate that!!)...we could be looking at a sweep.

That's up to Sap and Horford and if they decide to play like men, that's what the series depends on. DMC was never going to stop LeBron. DMC is a bigger loss offensively than defensively in my eyes.

[KyleKorver43]

Cavs win in 4.

Fluke win.  JR Smith will never hit twice as many threes as our entire roster ever again

 

As I recall, we lost game 1 last series at home and still closed out in 6, did we not?

 

I predicted a 7 game hawks series victory, and i'm sticking with it.

We also played a garbage Wizard's team.

[Carmine]

   

If DMC is gone (and man I hate that!!)...we could be looking at a sweep.

I'd like to think our team has enough heart to win at least two games. I hope the same fight and grit we saw in the regular season will carry over to this series, next man up.

[HorfordMustang]

Cavs win in 4.

We also played a garbage Wizard's team.

 

If that Wizard's team was garbage, then what were the Toronto Raptors?

 

Do you think that one player from Cleveland is going to make twice as many threes as our entire roster again?  Despite that disparity, Cleveland only managed to squeak out an 8 point win.

[KyleKorver43]

If that Wizard's team was garbage, then what were the Toronto Raptors?

 

Do you think that one player from Cleveland is going to make twice as many threes as our entire roster again?  Despite that disparity, Cleveland only managed to squeak out an 8 point win.

Both of those teams were worse than Chicago. The Cavs had a 16 point lead and looked like they relaxed with Lebron just taking contested jumpers. Their defense is the top ranked defense in the playoff and when they're clicking on offense they're hard to beat. Throw in Carroll will probably be out and I'm not very optimistic.

[jy23]

Too ranked defense after playing boston and offensively challenged Chicago. Seems like you're a cavs fan to me....but I digress....Al has to step up, point blank period. Jeff can have his way with Kyrie and he knows that. Dennis needs to get the memo and just keep attacking, lay off the jumpers my man. Can we get Kyle some shots please, I beg of you. Even if he's missing get that man the ball. Also why are we not seeing more of bazemore and Scott and moose....keep pero out of there for the love of god. I know that we will get a healthy dose of baze next game bc of DMCs injury....prayers going up....but we should have seen that this game. Let Scott come in and out up some jumpers, can't be any worse than how were shooting it now. Somebody has to get hot, I don't care who it is. We can dominate them in the paint so let's do it. Crash the boards....that's whys pero can NOT play in this series, the man just watches the ball as it comes off the rim. Give me some kind of effort damn. At least moose is trying. I think we can take game 2 but it's going to be a fight bc lebron know if they win game 2 it's pretty much over so he's going to try and put his foot down early....we gotta be ready Friday

[yungsta]

Watching these playoffs I realized that we just don't create enough easy shots when the defense tightens up. (The announcers said we shot 38% in the playoffs during the 4th quarter.) We went more than 6 mins without a single FG this game. We lack players that can break down a defense and make a play outside of teague and occasionally dennis. 

 

Its so obvious that the cavs game plan is to stay home on shooters and watch us miss layup after layup. We struggled to get a clean look from 3 all game. 4/23 shooting from 3.

 

Wanna know why our offense has been so stagnant these playoffs? Because we are struggling to beat the initial defender and force defensive rotations so we can kill teams with our passing. Opponents are switching on screens, staying home on shooters, and daring us to beat them 1 on 1 and we are struggling to do so.

 

having some kind of slashing wing or a post player that can command a double team would help us soooo much.

 

Edit: I dont think the cavs ran 1 play the entire game and they were getting better looks than us because LBJ is such a monster 1 on 1 that we have to commit  multiple defenders at a time whenever he catches the ball from the mid post area.

Edited May 21, 2015 by yungsta

[NekiEcko]

Right now, I wonder why Bud is not going to bench more, besides Antić (Straight hot garbage) and Dennis (need to play your way) and did the Ref mess up the mind of the Hawks because of those BS calls?   

[Guest]

Both of those teams were worse than Chicago. The Cavs had a 16 point lead and looked like they relaxed with Lebron just taking contested jumpers. Their defense is the top ranked defense in the playoff and when they're clicking on offense they're hard to beat. Throw in Carroll will probably be out and I'm not very optimistic.

 

If we played BOS/CHI our D ranking would be much better too.  Calfs play some scrappy defense but BOS can't score and CHI is disjointed offensively.  BOS is just Isaiah Thomas flailing around and some nice plays out of timeouts.  CHI is just my turn/your turn between Butler and Rose and, oh by the way, if I get caught in the air I'll hurl it to somebody with 3 seconds on the clock.

 

I don't think we really know how good CLE's defense really is.

 

I can't believe I'm saying this but Bazemore may help us immensely on the wing defending Smith.  We can handle Kyme (well us and his paper mache insides).  Sap on LiiBroughn (kinda) works if our D rotates properly.  If nothing else it forces him to go iso-heavy which is good for us.

 

I'm disheartened by the result and how the game went from a referee perspective, but I think we can bounce back.  They can't guard Teague and that should bode well for us going forward.  It almost did last night.

[AHF]

Watching these playoffs I realized that we just don't create enough easy shots when the defense tightens up. (The announcers said we shot 38% in the playoffs during the 4th quarter.) We went more than 6 mins without a single FG this game. We lack players that can break down a defense and make a play outside of teague and occasionally dennis. 

 

Its so obvious that the cavs game plan is to stay home on shooters and watch us miss layup after layup. We struggled to get a clean look from 3 all game. 4/23 shooting from 3.

 

Wanna know why our offense has been so stagnant these playoffs? Because we are struggling to beat the initial defender and force defensive rotations so we can kill teams with our passing. Opponents are switching on screens, staying home on shooters, and daring us to beat them 1 on 1 and we are struggling to do so.

 

having some kind of slashing wing or a post player that can command a double team would help us soooo much.

 

Edit: I dont think the cavs ran 1 play the entire game and they were getting better looks than us because LBJ is such a monster 1 on 1 that we have to commit  multiple defenders at a time whenever he catches the ball from the mid post area.

The only note I'd make is that a lot of those 3s were great looks that we just bricked.

[Guest]

We lost because:

17% from 3.

Low assist numbers - what happened to passing up a good shot for a great shot?

The bad illegal screen calls.

Rebounding - Fricking JR Smith (8) had more rebounds that Al(7) and Sap(7).

Al with 1 freethrow?????

JR Smith went nutty - he scored ALL their bench points and outscored ours by 10.

Also, these offensive luls is killing us.

Dennis STOP shooting 3s,

DMC'S injury sucks.

Edited May 21, 2015 by JayBirdHawk

[Sothron]

It is not just the Hawks fan in me that is depressed about DMC's injury. I hate the face he busted his ass and significantly raised what his next contract would be. Now this happened. He probably tore his ACL going into free agency. He does not deserve that. He really did raise himself since coming here and earned a good deal.

 

Here's hoping he still lands a good deal. I think our draft will now be entirely focused on the best SF available at our pick.

[cody73]

Shame DMC is out. Seems like we have no-one that can guard Bron now unless DMC miracously comes back.

[Guest]

DMC will be back in game 3...

Told ya!!!