Official Game Thread: Cavaliers at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

“Who’s prepared to pay the price? For a trip to paradise?”

 

It’s the Cleveland State Vikings, and the Georgia State Panthers, in a play-in matchup to determine which team will get to face the top-seeded… oh, excuse me? Yeah, that’s right, don’t call it a play-in. Let’s try this again, with a dash of NBA flavor, to taste.

Tonight, live from Atlanta, it’s the Cleveland Cavaliers, visiting the Hawks (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Ohio) in a race to determine who will be worthy of an opening-round matchup with the top-seed for the East Region. It’s May Madness in March! It’s Awesome, Baby! Dipsy-doo, dunkaroo!

As I groggily draft this gamethread opener, I would like to know who it is, up at NBA HQ’s scheduling office, that could not grant the Hawks (18-20) that extra half-hour graciously extended to several of Atlanta’s hosts on the back ends of back-to-backs. I needed to Fall Back to savor last night’s romp over the Kings, as well as the Last Team Standing ACC Champions up in Greensboro. Alas, thanks to Daylight Savings, there is precious little time for celebration in The A.

The league could have at least been sensitive enough to grant Trae, Kevin ‘n Bruno, De’Andre, Big O Smalls, and Skylar time to figure out how far their favorite college teams will make it down the brackets in Indy this year. Rondo and Cam, y’all just sit this one out. JC will help you figure out how to enjoy the hiatus, he’s good at this by now.

Worse yet, the Hawks get to face the Cavs (14-23) on a day’s rest. Cleveland, once again, has been granted ample time to lick their wounds, taste their own blood, and scout out their favorite NBA opponent to sink their teeth into.

The first time they met this season, in January, Cleveland’s visit came two days after a deflating 20-point loss to the Pacers in Indy, at that point their worst loss of the young season. The second time they met, in the Buckeye State last month, the Cavs were reeling from a 10-game skid, with nine of those defeats coming by deficits of 16 to 38 points.

If you were not the greatest fan of former Cavs assistant coach Lloyd Pierce running the show in Atlanta, then you can thank your lucky stars for the Hawks’ outcomes against their lottery rivals. The 112-111 loss by the Hawks provided Cleveland with not just a trust fall catch, but a trampoline bounce, the start of their season-best four-game winning streak.

Now they arrive at State Farm Arena after a 34-point loss to the Pelicans on Friday. Just 2.5 games back of the free-falling Raptors for the final “NCAA First Round” reservation, JB Bickerstaff hopes Atlanta will be there tonight, once more, to catch his team on the rebound.

Speaking of rebounds, Kevin Love is back upright! It’s hard to get pre-owned cars off the lot unless the customer can first hear the engine running smoothly. While Andre Drummond is being spiffied up on the showcase spinner ahead of the Trade Deadline, Coach JB has the five-time former All-Star starting but on a minutes restriction, perhaps up a smidgen from the ten he received during Friday night’s 116-82 washout in New Orleans.

“I don’t want to speak hyperbole or take it over the top, but this is probably the most mentally taxing – not the most physically taxing injury – but the most mentally taxing for me for sure.”  Whacked in the leg during preseason action, then re-aggravated Gallinari-style during his first game back in December, Love shared with the Plain Dealer the challenges recovering from his latest setback, the calf injury that sidelined him for nearly three months. “Just playing basketball, that’s what I love to do. It’s so much a part of me. When you have it taken away from you and you feel like there’s not much you can do after working so damn hard, that can be really disheartening and a tough hurdle to overcome.”

The returnee the Hawks should be more concerned about is Larry Nance. The Cavs forward was averaging 2.4 SPG over his first 15 games until he was slowed by a hand injury that required surgery. Only the Sixers’ Ben Simmons has as many per-game deflections (3..9) as Nance, an element to defense that the Cavaliers (112.5 D-Rating, tied w/ ATL for 22^nd in NBA) have sorely missed.

Keeping the turnovers down and the margins close were problems for the Hawks in the two games versus Cleveland thus far (20-15 and 19-15, respectively), but not so much over the past three Hawk victories (8 player TOs last night vs. SAC, tying a season low).

Much like the winning field day enjoyed, until yesterday, by the Kings’ De’Aaron Fox, Collin Sexton enters today looking for a fifth consecutive victory over draft-mate Trae Young’s Hawks. The Pebblebrook High star has averaged 26.0 PPG (53.3 FG%, 40.0 3FG%) versus Atlanta, going back to December 2019.

Young had 28-and-12 but sunk just one of seven three-point shots when the Hawks fell by a point last month. He was 0-for-3 in the final quarter while Sexton and Cavs rookies Dylan Windler and Isaac Okoro (combined 5-for-5 fourth-quarter 3FGs vs. ATL) were perfect from that range.

To help spell Sexton and his backcourt mate Darius Garland (probable, missed Friday’s game due to a groin strain), Cleveland brought in Quinn Cook on a 10-day deal. Cook contributed 13 points in his 17 minutes at N’Awlins.

Atlanta has to cut off passing lanes for Cleveland’s backcourt-centric offense (104.3 O-Rating, last in NBA; third-lowest 3FG%, lowest 3FGA rate, as per bball-ref), and must keep a hand in front of perimeter shooters and limit paint penetration without offering bailout fouls. Atlanta is a rational 16-7 when they permit 25 or fewer assisted buckets, so a little hero-ball from Sexton won’t hurt if it isn’t compounded by trips to the free throw line, wide open shooters, or second-chance shots.

Clint Capela will find the going rougher securing defensive boards versus Jarrett Allen, JaVale McGee, Love and Nance, so he’ll need steady support and quality boxouts from John Collins and the small forwards to keep the Cavs at bay all day.

I’m cutting off this gamethread opener early so I can get some beauty sleep. My Drexel Dragons are going Dancing for the first time in a long while, and I’m not gonna risk missing the reveal of which 2-seed they’re bound to upset this week because of the lost hour of shuteye. I sure hope the Hawks found plentiful rest last night, too.

 

Go Jackets! (and Lady Jackets! And Lady Dawgs! And Lady Bears! We see you, Mercer!) Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

Pay back time.

[JayBirdHawk]

How are we going to match up on defense? 

Will we hide Trae on Okoro again, or will he have to tighten his jock strap and man up vs Sexton like he had to do vs Fox last night?

 

[Peoriabird]

11 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

How are we going to match up on defense? 

Will we hide Trae on Okoro again, or will he have to tighten his jock strap and man up vs Sexton like he had to do vs Fox last night?

 

Okoro stinks on offense!

[kg01]

Biggest game of the season?  No reason to keep losing to these clowns.

[RedDawg#8]

We must beat them. I cannot handle another loss to these bums.

I don't care how we do it, just win the game!

[Peoriabird]

I will show confidence in a Hawks convincing win after the 3rd quarter.

[terrell]

Capela and OO are questionable? smh

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

Sigh.

Cap with the heel, Gwu with the adductor.

[terrell]

7 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

Sigh.

Cap with the heel, Gwu with the adductor.

 This is the other heel for Clint.smh. And I see he's still wearing those low top Kobe's..

Edited March 14, 2021 by terrell

[hawkman]

57 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

How are we going to match up on defense? 

Will we hide Trae on Okoro again, or will he have to tighten his jock strap and man up vs Sexton like he had to do vs Fox last night?

 

It's not like Sexton has some huge size or quickness advantage. Trae needs to man up and accept the challenge. No more of this, "I'm saving my energy for the offensive end", stuff. There's no reason he shouldn't be able to defend guys his size without being a liability. One of my gripes with the previous "management" was that improving his man to man defense didn't seem to be a priority for his first two seasons. Now that's pure speculation on my part, but there were too many times where the Hawks were more concerned with "hiding" Trae than making him guard his position early on in his development. He should be able to play at least league average defense against guys like Sexton. 

[Gray Mule]

If Agent OO17 and Capela are both out, what are you trying to tell me?  A scheduled loss?  Ugh!

[RedDawg#8]

C'mon Chelsea Lane, whats the point of the players taking care of business on the court so that they dont play 30 mins, just to still sit them on a back to back. Can we have just one of our centers please? This cannot be the standard down the stretch when we have more B2B's on the horizon. 

[bleachkit]

My guess is Clint is out, but OO plays. 

[Buzzard]

Big challenge if Clint is out. I guess if you have to miss Capela, there is much worse match ups he could sit against. Hopefully Okongwu can go. I would like to see him get 20 or more minutes. He has not broke the 20 minute mark all season.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Buzzard

[Gray Mule]

Nathan Knight played last night.  One minute.  He should be ready to go tonight.

 

[Dnice]

Not really confident with capela out...who's  the best podiatrist around?

[Carmine]

Since the Hawks streak coincides with me not tuning in i'll do y'all a solid & sit this one out. You can thank me later after we beat the Cavs.

[bleachkit]

Bruno, the time is now.

[Marvin24Williams]

Time for Bruno to show his worth