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Cavs Vs Hawks: 5 Standout Stats From Game 3

By Omar Josef Guerrero

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In the aftermath of the Cavs Vs Hawks Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers escaped with an overtime victory over the injury-riddled Atlanta Hawks. Not that the Cavs weren’t shorthanded with injuries to two of their stars, but the Hawks were the healthier team coming into this series until injuries took their toll on their lineup. With All-Star power forward Al Horford ejected in the second quarter, the Hawks could have easily given up and thrown in the towel. Instead the Hawks were fired up and gave their best showing in the series so far.

The result was still the same, however, as Cleveland survived a lackadaisical fourth quarter performance by winning the game in overtime behind the incredible exploits of the one and only LeBron James. Not only did the King shake off the worst start in his career (0-9 FG shooting in the first quarter), fatigue from playing 47 minutes, and several injuries sustained from previous games, he also had to keep cramps from stopping him from playing in the overtime period to lead his team to the win.

If there’s any consolation for the Hawks, this is the first time the game was close at the end, showing the teamwork and heady play that defined their season on the way to the best record in the Eastern Conference. We’ve finally seen the heart of the Hawks franchise but it is still a commanding 3-0 series lead for the Land. Before going into Game 4, let’s find out the stories behind the stats in Cavs Vs Hawks Game 3.

1. LeBron James: 37 Points, 18 Rebounds, 13 Assists, 3 Steals

It was your typical, “you name it, James did it” type of game for the King as he filled up the stat sheet and erased or tied all-time records in a single game.

Let’s look at the milestones first:

  • Passed Karl Malone for sixth on the all-time career playoff points with 4,782.
  • Passed Ben Wallace, Horace Grant, and Magic Johnson for 17th all-time playoff career rebounds with 1,469.
  • Passed Jason Kidd for second-most triple-doubles in playoffs history with 12.
  • One of only three players with at least 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in NBA playoffs history (Charles Barkley and James Worthy are the other two).
  • Second most triple-doubles (6 total) in playoff history with 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 10+ assists to Oscar Robertson (8).
  • Tied Maurice Cheeks for eighth-most steals all-time in the playoffs with 295.
  • Tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for third-most 30-point career playoff games with 75.

LeBron’s historic night was the story of the game as it clearly showed what an all-time great NBA player can do for a team. He practically had a hand in just about every play that the Cavs executed in this game. According to ESPN Stats and Info, James “scored or assisted on 68 of the Cavaliers’ 114 total points (60 percent). In the third quarter he scored or assisted on 29 of their 33 total points, including the final 27 points of the period.” LeBron wasn’t alone in winning the game by a long shot but he sure made it seem that way.

2. CAVS: 56 Rebounds; HAWKS: 42 Rebounds

For the third straight game, the Cavs won the battle of the boards by a huge margin, this time with a 14-rebound difference between the teams.

For the third straight game, the Cavs won the battle of the boards by a huge margin, this time with a 14-rebound difference between the teams.

The Hawks did their job well by limiting Thompson (7 rebounds) off the glass but they didn’t do such a good job against LeBron, though. James picked up the slack for his teammate by grabbing a game high 18 boards. J.R. Smith also got 10, and Iman Shumpert got seven. So far, the winner of the boards has won the game as well, making rebounding the battle cry for both teams heading into Game 4.

3. CAVS: 14-36 (38.9%) 3-Pt. FGs; HAWKS: 11-30 (36.7%) 3-Pt. FGs

Finally, the Hawks were able to hit their threes, ironically without their best three-point shooter.

How were the Hawks able to keep the game close and have a lead near the end of the fourth quarter? They took advantage of their opportunities to score from the three-point line. For the first time in the series, the Hawks’ shooters were on target which opened up the lane for drives and shots close to the basket. The Cavs were still the better shooters, though, as they converted three more from downtown while also shooting the better percentage.

4. HAWKS: 28-32 Free-Throws; CAVS: 20-29 Free-Throws

Another reason why the game was so close was due to the Cavs getting into the penalty early in the fourth and the Hawks capitalizing on their free-throw attempts by making 87.5% compared to the Cavs’ 69%.

Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague led the way for the Hawks by making a perfect 11-11 and 9-9 at the line, respectively.

Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague led the way for the Hawks by making a perfect 11-11 and 9-9 at the line, respectively. James was the only one to shoot more than four free-throw attempts for the Cavs while the Hawks had three (Kent Bazemore had eight). If they attack the Cavs and get fouls called in the next game, the Hawks can extend this series.

5. Jeff Teague: 30 points, seven assists, six rebounds and no turnovers

If there is one player that’s capable of superstar numbers in this series for Atlanta, it’s Jeff Teague.

Though Millsap is also another player who posted spectacular numbers (22 points, 9 rebounds), Teague is the one player that the Cavs cannot guard consistently well and it showed in this game. That’s why LeBron took the responsibility of guarding the Hawks’ PG during crucial stretches of the game especially on that three-point attempt with the game tied in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. As Teague goes, so go the Hawks. James wasn’t the only one with historical numbers as Teague posted stats worthy of a Hawks franchise record.

Honorable Mention:

J.R. Smith: 17 Points, 10 Rebounds 2 Blocks, 3 Three-Pointers

This wasn’t your typical great shooting game for Smith but his timing in making his threes could not have been more perfect.

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With the Cavs trailing in the fourth quarter, Smith nailed a clutch three-pointer to keep the Cavs in the game. As the game was tied 106-all in overtime, Smith nailed a three to give the Cavs the lead with 3:29 to go. His scoring gave the team the much-needed breather to a suddenly tight Cavaliers offense late in the game. He also grabbed 10 big rebounds at a time when rebounding-machine Thompson was being kept off the glass by the Hawks. The two blocks he had were also huge bonuses, too!

Did we miss out on a crucial stat in this game? Share with us your thoughts in the comments below!

Next: Results, Recap and Highlights from Game 3