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Cavs vs Hawks: 3 Things We Learned

By Daniel Opacich

Apr 1, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) is defended by Atlanta Hawks forward Kent Bazemore (24) in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 1, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) is defended by Atlanta Hawks forward Kent Bazemore (24) in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on the 2nd night of a back-to-back, having beat the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night 107-87, and went to overtime to win again.

On Friday, the Cavaliers faced a much hungrier Hawks team which has been very hot since the All-Star break. It had been since November, when the Cavs faced the Hawks last, so both teams have had a bit of a face-lift since that contest which the Cavaliers won 109-97.

The Cavaliers started out with great ball movement and shooting, playing tight defense making the Hawks put up tough shots and led 55-41 at the half. What really helped the Cavaliers in the first half was the almost 9 minutes of scoreless basketball by the Hawks during the end of the 1st and beginning of the 2nd quarter.

The Cavaliers led by 21 points at one point, but the Hawks came all the way back in the 3rd quarter. Both teams fought hard to a 96-96 tie at the end of regulation which led to Overtime.

The Overtime period was also played like a playoff game, with the lead vacillating back and forth, but finally the Cavaliers put the Hawks away – relying on the free throw shooting skills of Kyrie Irving – winning this game 110-108.

Cavs vs Hawks: 3 things we learned –

1.) The Cavaliers are much more effective when they move the ball and play tough defense that leads to transition offense. Why do the Cavaliers resort to isolation and one-on-one basketball at the end of the game? It seems that it is encoded in LeBron James and the Cavaliers – something they just can’t get away from. Once the Cavaliers are able to play team basketball for 48 minutes, the team could very well beat anyone in the NBA.

2.) A disturbing trend under coach Tyronn Lue has been rearing its ugly head. The inability to come out and play with the same energy and intensity after halftime as the team plays with in the 2nd quarter. The Cavaliers started the 3rd quarter missing far too many open shots and never really regained their composure until later in the 4th quarter. One thing that the Cavaliers could do is feed Kevin Love in the post early in the 3rd quarter and “re-create” the magic that the team plays with when they get Love going early in the game. If the shots aren’t falling and the driving lanes are clogged, feed Love and let him get physical inside and draw early fouls.

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3.) The Cavaliers played a very tough fought game, reminiscent of playoff basketball. The team that won tonight was the team that wanted (and needed) it the most. The way they played with intensity and challenged the Hawks to make tough shots is the way this team needs to play for 48 minutes. The fact that the Cavaliers had a 21 point lead in the 2nd quarter and had to go to overtime to pull it out is worrisome, but the experience is good for them and helps them to be resilient when it matters most – during the playoffs.

Coming Up

The Cavs now have 7 more games left in the regular season. They face the red-hot Charlotte Hornets Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. If the Cavaliers can pull out a win against arguably the hottest team in the Eastern Conference right now, the final 6 games should be reasonably easy to take what they need to clinch home court throughout the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

What did you learn from last night’s game?