Official Game Thread: Hawks at Cavaliers

[lethalweapon3]

Hey there, Atlanta, Milwaukee… I hear you guys are having a little trouble making the playoffs? My heart aches for you. Aches, I say!

 

Facing the defending champ Cavaliers in Cleveland, our Atlanta Hawks might be pulling volunteers from the Quicken Loans Arena stands tonight (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Ohio in CLE, NBATV elsewhere), to help make up for the many players who won’t be suiting up on the second half of a back-to-back. Usher, can you be True To Atlanta for just one night?

The leading scorer and rebounder from last night’s bruising battle with Boston, Paul Millsap? Nope, he’ll rest that swollen knee some more. Kent Bazemore? No way, Mister Calderon, because Baze is healing up from a bruised knee. Thabo Sefolosha? Not a snowball’s chance in Cleveland. He’s just trying not to aggravate his troublesome groin while driving his new Brinks truck around town.

The starting backcourt of Dennis Schröder and Tim Hardaway, Jr.? Ixnay on the laypay. Both guards are dealing with foot sprains, while THJ also has a bruised knee to boot.

Thankfully, No Excuses Week is a thing of the past for the Hawks, because stealing a win tonight will be a tall order with Cleveland’s Big 3 active and likely to play. Beyond the usual suspects, Kyle Korver (NBA-leading 45.2 3FG%, 49.2% with the Cavs) has been recuperating from foot troubles and will grace us with his perimeter presence.

Coach Tyronn Lue is aware that homecourt advantage for the Eastern Conference playoffs can be secured with consecutive wins over the Hawks, tonight and on Sunday back in Atlanta. T-Lue and the Cavs’ Big 3 understand that this is no time for the Cavs (51-27) to play down to their competition.

Clevelan Rocks! Clevelan Rocks! Even famous native Rew Carey must have been alarmed by the lack of D exhibited by the Cavs recently. The defending champs were a horrific (for them) 7-10 in the month of March, their defensive rating for the month (113.1) better than only the Lakers in the entire league. Because of that, their net rating of -2.9 for March was not all that distinguishable from the Hawks’ -3.0, and we all know how bad Atlanta has been.

To keep from going out like a lamb, the Cavs have turned things around to an extent over the past week, best exhibited by their 114-91 curb-stomping of the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday. But they’ve generally been winning games only by piling up ungodly amounts of points. On the season, Cleveland forces very few turnovers (11.5 opponent TO%, 29^th in NBA) and seem more focused on getting the ball back to their stars on offense than on keeping opponents’ balls from finding their way into the net (45.7 opponent FG%, a pedestrian 15^th in NBA).

Despite Kyrie’s 43 and LeBron’s 38, the Cavs had to withstand a 42-point barrage from the Hawks just to prevail by five points in Atlanta back on March 3 (they surely will not miss seeing THJ, or a repeat 36-point performance from him, tonight). That same 135-130 outcome was replicated in a double-OT win over the Pacers last Sunday. All of LeBron’s 16 fourth-quarter points were needed to keep Indiana from stealing a victory after falling behind by 14 in the final quarter of regulation.

Coach Mike Budenholzer’s shuffled lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but it’s likely we will see a lot more of Taurean Prince (career-high 20 points, plus 7 rebounds in 41 minutes vs. BOS) and Jose Calderon, plus former Cav Mike Dunleavy, Jr, at the outset. Rookies DeAndre’ Bembry and Malcolm Delaney are in line to get a sudden boost in floortime as well. Kris Humphries will be needed to shore up the frontline behind Howard and Ersan Ilyasova, and perhaps a cameo appearance from 15^th Man Ryan Kelly could even be in the offing.

This game will remain competitive for Atlanta (40-38) for only so long as as Howard can remain on the floor, without foul trouble, and exploit a Cavaliers team that has struggled to protect the rim, all the more without Tristan Thompson (sprained thumb) around. If Channing Frye struggles to hold down the pivot spot defensively, Lue may have no choice but to turn to a very green Larry Sanders to be a difference-maker tonight.

The Hawks on the floor can help their center out not only by avoiding unforced errors, and getting back in transition, but by not straying from their man to help the former 3-time Defensive Player of the Year and 5-time All-Defensive Team member police the paint. That includes Ilyasova, who is normally an opponent-turnover sponge on the inside but will have to get out to defend Love, Frye, and occasionally James, keeping Cleveland’s bigs cool from outside.

What about when James and Irving spring free of their man, and come barreling toward the rim in search of some highlight plays? So what? That’s just two points, if we don’t exacerbate the situation with fouls. The key for the Hawks is to avoid being exposed for open catch-and-shoot three-pointers by pretty much any Cavalier. They could even catch Cleveland when they’re at their most smug by getting the ball down the court for quick transition scores.

The flashy dunks and dribbles from LeBron and Kyrie Irving are just a mirage for a Cleveland team that ranks second in three-point attempt rate (39.7% of all FGs taken from downtown) and accuracy (38.7 team 3FG%). Their teams’ 8 most-frequent three-point makers hit threes at a minimum 36 percent clip. The Hawks will likely struggle to get a leg up on LeBron and Company through 48 minutes, but that is no reason not to keep a hand up on their Cav-alcade of jumpshooters.

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

 

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[lethalweapon3]

There you go. No letting up from Lue.

~lw3

[capstone21]

It's like watching garbage time only not ... 

[Guest]

2 thangs ... 1. Pretty sure Bawb soiled himself, to put it mildly, in that 4th qtr. 2. Pretty sure cavs gonna be looking to whup our arses Sunday.

Come at me bro....

[Guest]

.....:-|

[NBASupes]

Other than a WTF from Cleveland, we actually played Atlanta Hawks Basketball tonight. Salute to the scrubs!

[Lurker]

Bruh the Hawks really won a game that was an attempt at throwing a game lmfao. And it was with the Cavs actually trying and LeBron almost playing the ENTIRE second half. My goodness!

[lethalweapon3]

The Kids Are Alright!

~lw3

[Marvin24Williams]

the ball was flying around touching everyone today. something we haven't seen in a while

Edited April 8, 2017 by Marvin24Williams

[capstone21]

That cracked me up

we had a team of role players tonight but it was sort of a team of role players that won 60 ... the reason it worked so well tonight ... ball movement ... that has been the way we use to play ... this season not as much has been kind of missing that 

also, tough d ... Bembry did a nice job on Bron ... sorta like how he played Harden

[hylndr11]

So why wait to do this ?

[AUhawksfan]

When you don't have a bunch of go to scorers or guys that need to get touches, you get better ball movement. I'm not surprised by that part. 

Definitely surprised that it was enough to beat the Cavs though.

Now c'mon everyone, do the Hump-ty Hump. Do the Hump-ty Hump.

[lethalweapon3]

I promise this happened: One of these creatures crossed my path on the way home (listening to 92.9 FM) as the final buzzer sounded.

*file photo, not me holding it

~lw3

[marco102]

....speechless.  This team might get into the playoffs and win it all.  I can't tell what the hell they will do.

[Gray Mule]

Back to back wins after we had almost given up with this team.

Wasn't it nice to see those shots fall for the Hawks!  And, just

to see the look on the face of "The King" as he played so many

minutes in a losing cause against Bud's 10 players really playing

Bud ball as the ball moved well.

Tonight, no starter took a foul shot and the bench went 8-8.  The

Cavs, being at the line much more often, went 17-13.

Bud ball!  This is Bud ball.  Too bad the starters can't do this.

 

GO ATL HAWKS

 

Expect to see a Cavs slaughter of the Atlanta Starters Sunday.

They will have many, many threes.  "The King" will have his many

assists and dunks with a regular "and one" trip after trip.

[cam1218]

I appreciate the @lethalweapon3, @JayBirdHawk, @Spud2Nique, @kg01, @Thomas, @AHF, @JTB folk around here. It's been brutal but y'all kept posting while many of us lurked. Folks like @benhillboy have been around and keeping it real. 

If we are gonna do this playoff thing again let's make sure we are doing it right. Beers on a Friday+Hawks wins make life much more enjoyable.

[lethalweapon3]

I'm already looking forward to the 11 PM replay (Fox Sports Southeast) but what a relief, however momentary, for our play-by-play guys, Bawb 'n Holman. You could truly hear the relief in their voices tonight.

~lw3

[Guest]

This is all I got...

[sturt]

[DS5]

Only the Hawks can lose to the nets twice in a week playing like the worst team in the league, and then beat the best 2 teams in the conference on back 2 back games, playing really well on both occasions. We could either go all the way or get swept in the first round. Definitely the right time to get hot!