Official Game Thread: Cavaliers at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

“It’s so nice to get in a few practice swings before each shot now!”

 

After once more prying victory from the jaws of defeat on Wednesday, the Atlanta Hawks’ six-game homestand continues in what could potentially be a victory C.I.G.A.R. (Champs, Indy, G-State, Atkinson’s crew, Raps); their first toke comes courtesy of the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight (7:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL; ESPN). There are ample reasons why it behooves Atlanta to begin playing their best stretch of fullcourt, 48-minute hoops this season.

It’s official: the Hawks are mathematically eliminated from clinching last place in the East. Putting the next group of conference bottom-dwellers out-of-reach, though, will take considerably more work. But with a decent homestand performance, sewing up a tenth-consecutive playoff spot could go from a duty to a formality very quickly.

Lakers, Nyets, Nyets again, Knicks (by 1). That is the full set of road victories by the Toronto Raptors (out of 13 games). The first three wins came with a healthy Kyle Lowry, the All-Star point guard who is out for at least four more weeks with wrist surgery. After amassing a whopping total of three assists in the first three quarters of Wednesday’s home loss to Washington, the Raps embark on a five-game road swing tonight in D.C.  Their trek continues next week in ATL. If the Hawks take care of business during this homestand, Watch for Falling Raptors!

The division-leading Wizards have won 20 of their last 22 at home, which is great for them, because after this weekend’s games, there are just six Verizon Center contests remaining. 11-15 in away games, Washington must keep their recent winning ways going on the road, including two long West Coast swings. If Atlanta steps up their own play against their daunting March slate of opponents, by the time the two teams meet again in a few weeks, they could be trading places.

One of Atlanta’s signature wins this season came way back in November at the Q. Along the way to a 110-106 victory, Dennis Schröder, Kent Bazemore, and Paul Millsap (74 combined points on 55.6 FG%, 9-for-16 3FGs) virtually matched Cleveland’s Big 3 (76 total points on 42.6 FG%, 3-for-16 FGs) bucket-for-bucket.

Long accustomed to having his way with the Hawks, Tristan Thompson (no shots, 2 rebounds in 25 minutes; 3.7 O-Rebs per game, 4^th in NBA) was stymied by Dwight Howard (17 rebounds, 3 blocks in 27 minutes) at every turn. At the same time, Thabo Sefolosha, Taurean Prince and Tim Hardaway, Jr. did a sound job of giving J.R. Smith (2-for-13 FGs) mostly heroball looks from the perimeter.

Atlanta has done some fine-tuning to their lineup since that game. In anticipation of another championship-quality stretch run, Cleveland is adjusting to a major makeover among its supporting cast.

Not making that November trip to Cleveland was Kyle Korver, who remained in the ATL to celebrate the arrival of a third K-baby for the Korver clan. Smith’s thumb surgery in December ushered in what Cavs assistant Larry Drew once frequently described as a “sense of urgency,” hastened further by a 2-6 stretch in January, and Kevin Love’s arthroscopic knee surgery last month. LeBron James banged his shoe on the table demanding more “playmakers”, however ambiguously and ironically, on what was already the NBA’s highest-salaried team. The first “playmaker” to arrive in Believeland was Korver.

Kyle was sincerely disenchanted with having to leave the NBA home where his career had late-bloomed, but came to understand how easily he would get open shots as a Cavalier, without having to run half-marathons across the court every night.

After just one contribution of 20-or-more points through December (and once, back in November, of the prior season; two since January of the season before that) with the Hawks, the “Kahlvalier” logged four 20-plus-scoring affairs in February, burying 58.9 percent of his threes that month. Ponce de Leon couldn’t possibly find as many Fountains of Youth as the reinvigorated Korver (21-game Threak) has during his noteworthy career. His essential challenge going forward is to simply keep his shooting arm from falling off.

Still, more griping from The King begat Miami’s scuttled Derrick Williams (55.8 FG% through 8 games with CLE). Even he wasn’t D-Will enough for LeBron, so the Cavs pulled Dallas’ discarded point guard Deron Williams into the fold, soon to be followed by ex-Maverick teammate Andrew Bogut. The center won’t dress for tonight’s game, though, as he works to pass his physical.

Both D-Wills were pressed into duty immediately, including James tossing a potential game-winning three pointer cross-court to Derrick with seconds to spare on Wednesday. Williams’ miss cemented Boston’s 103-99 victory, a Cavs loss made possible by an off-night from Korver (1-for-7 FGs) and most of Cleveland’s supporting cast.

When it comes to LeBron’s “playmakers,” the Cavs’ centripetal, and not gravitational, presence has remained Kyrie Irving, whose offensive game has been out… oh, my mistake… “off” of this world lately. “World B. Flat” still struggles on the defensive end, but has cut down on his ballhandling turnovers (career-low 11.0 TO% on the season) while averaging 7.1 APG to accompany his 25.4 PPG (93.3 FT%) in February.

Cleveland’s ticket to the 2016 conference finals was punched on this floor last May, thanks in large part to the injured Love and his replacement starter Channing Frye. There is no mystery (to Hawks fans, at least) as to the Cavs’ modus operandi tonight.

After coach Tyronn Lue finds some Pepto-Bismol (he missed this morning’s shootaround while a bit under the weather), he will want his team to force the ball inside on drives and post-ups by James (Eastern Conference Player of the Month, for the 34^th time in the past 74 possible months; 12.0 RPG and 10.3 APG since the All-Star Break) and Irving, dare Howard into shying away from his man, and test Atlanta’s ability to eschew paint help and keep defenders at home on the Cavs’ willing shooters. Each of Cleveland’s six most-frequent shooters, among the active players alone, shoot at least 37.5 3FG%.

Athletic wings staying in front of both Irving and James will be key for Atlanta (103.2 D-Rating; 5^th in NBA, 1^st in East) in thwarting the stars’ ability to supplement the Cavs offense (110.9 O-Rating; 3^rd in NBA, 1^st in East) with runout scores in transition. Despite the Hawks victory, Cleveland’s 25 points off 19 Atlanta turnovers remains a season-high for that club, Atlanta being outscored 15-2 on the fastbreak.

The Hawks must again learn to live with LeBron’s and Kyrie’s highlight-reel halfcourt forays, and box out to secure rebounds off missed interior shots. The pair was 20-for-40 from the field in Wednesday’s loss to Boston, while their teammates were a collective 17-for-51. Cleveland’s non-Big-3, which included Korver-trade acquisition Mike Dunleavy, Jr. (inactive tonight), went 11-for-38 from the floor and were granted just two free throw attempts by the Hawks in the November game.

It’s a big night for fans of the 70s, as the late, great Pete Maravich will have his jersey number ascending to the arena rafters tonight. Twice an All-Star while with the Hawks, the Pistol’s 24.3 PPG over four uber-hyped NBA seasons still ranks second only to Dominique Wilkins in Atlanta-era history, and his 5.6 APG ranks fourth. His trade to New Orleans might have panned out for the Hawks, if only the shaky ownership at the time wasn’t outbid by the ABA for #1 NBA pick David Thompson, and if the latter, like the former, didn’t succumb to the ravages of drug addiction.

He’s no Pistol on the court, but Schröder (Hawks franchise-leading 33.9 assist percentage; 26.7 usage%, 3^rd in team history) isn’t exactly a Peashooter, either. Dennis could have a banner-worthy Hawk career himself, if he brings the two-way intensity to the table that was evident during Atlanta’s victory over Isaiah Thomas’ Celtics, and in the opening half against reigning Rookie of the Month Yogi Ferrell’s Mavericks.

Atlanta’s 56.3 FG% versus Dallas represented a season-best, a value that could have stayed in the 70s, too, but for a sloppy second half by the Hawks. The listlessness that defined the second-half versus Dallas by not only Schröder (five of his seven TOs) but the whole team would do Atlanta no favors against a hungry Cavs squad in front of a primetime Friday Night audience.

Millsap has had several half-baked first-halves (30.0 1^st half FG% in last six games; 51.5 2^nd half FG%) recently. For both he and sixth-man Hardaway (last six games: 34.4 1^st half FG%, team-high 8.5 2^nd half PPG on 47.5 FG%), coming out of the gate at least lukewarm from the field will draw defensive attention away from their teammates and enhance the Hawks’ offensive floor balance.

Tristan Thompson would have to vacate the middle to help Frye and Derrick Williams, while Iman Shumpert would have to stray away from Schröder more often. James’ focus on the Hawks’ big men may especially help Bazemore (25 points, 4-for-6 3FGs vs. CLE on Nov. 8; 40.5 3FG% last 20 games) enjoy another solid outing against the Cavs. Recent acquisition Ersan Ilyasova (team-high 18 points, 6-for-7 FGs, at least four forced DAL TOs on Wednesday) has the potential to provide at least as positive a boost for the Hawks in the postseason as Frye provided for the Cavs in 2016.

Hawks fans found themselves shorted on several recent “High Voltage” Fridays (121-85 loss to the Pistons in December, 112-86 loss to the Wizards in January, 108-90 loss to the heat last week). The Hawks must bring the energy from the outset tonight against the class of the LeBronference. Otherwise, fans may clamor to permanently retire the throwback jerseys, right along with Pistol Pete's.

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

 

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[Gray Mule]

Remember, in the playoffs, when the Cavs hit all those three balls without

a miss?  Buried our Hawks.

Remember, six teams have set their season record for scoring from down town.

Can "The King" run over, around and through the Atlanta lads, get every call,

have bunches of those "And One!" calls he is famous for?

And, will there be more Cleveland fans there tonight than there are Hawk fans?

My hopes?  Atlanta Hawks win by 30 tonight!!

GO ATL HAWKS !!

[TheFuzz]

Lol. World B. Flat. Good stuff as always.

[Guest]

Great thread lw3! We are definitely a better equipped roster to match up with the Cavs that last year or the year before. Current line is Cavs -3...NBA2k says...

 

GO HAWKS!!!!

[cam1218]

17 minutes ago, Spud2Nique said:

Great thread lw3! We are definitely a better equipped roster to match up with the Cavs that last year or the year before. Current line is Cavs -3...NBA2k says...

 

GO HAWKS!!!!

I could have gone without seeing Millsap wearing that awful black shirt and red pant combo we used to wear on Sundays. We haven't done that since the road loss up in NY on a Sunday afternoon earlier this season I think? 

[Dnice]

Do the fans know this is an earlier start than usual?

[Guest]

We are 0-2 in these green jerseys. Hope that changes tonight.

3 minutes ago, Dnice said:

Do the fans know this is an earlier start than usual?

Probably not.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, cam1218 said:

I could have gone without seeing Millsap wearing that awful black shirt and red pant combo we used to wear on Sundays. We haven't done that since the road loss up in NY on a Sunday afternoon earlier this season I think? 

No in my actual game it was straight black on black...for some reason the player of game photo shows that hideous combo. Lol.

2 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

We are 0-2 in these green jerseys. Hope that changes tonight.

Probably not.

Wait green or blue?

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Spud2Nique said:

No in my actual game it was straight black on black...for some reason the player of game photo shows that hideous combo. Lol.

Wait green or blue?

Green and blue, blue and green.

[Dnice]

Hawks are a hot damn mess already.. Blowout tonight.

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Green and blue, blue and green.

lol I dig

[JTB]

Cavs out here raping our guys raw!

Cavs out here getting away with murder!

Cavs Lebron & Kyrie just added some new hoes to the pimp squad!

Cavs out here......

yeah you get it 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Score 60 pts at the half, but down 17?

#OnlyTheHawks

[Gray Mule]

Cavs didn't hit but 14 threes in the first half.

Gee.  What went wrong?

[cam1218]

Dennis holding coach back from the refs was the first defense I've seen tonight past the three point line.

[Lurker]

That was finals game 5 Kyrie and LeBron, and no team is beating that.

[Gray Mule]

"The King" got away with another foul and Bud had a fit about it.

Another NBA team hits their most 3's for the season.

Look at all those free throws Hawks missed in a close one at last.

Lost by 5 - - - Missed 8 free throws.   Do the math......

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Kyle with that dagger 3.   If he misses that, we win the game.  Instead, they go up 4 and give them just enough cushion to hang on.

Horrible game from the 2nd quarter to midway through the 4th.   Great finish.

Still an L though.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

 

OK . . . that was Ilyasova that backed all the way off of Kyle, and was nowhere near Lebron.   That's a correctable mistake that Bud will surely point out.  No way Kyle was missing that wide open of a shot.

[benhillboy]

Tim balled his ass off.  I'm a dedicated Hawks fan but damn.  Losing Tim while Baze is owed $37 million more would be a low blow.  Limiting Bembry's and Prince's development for below average production is bad enough.

I thought the Cavs broke every three point record known to man in the series against us last playoffs.  Appears they're always saving a can of whoop ass in the pantry for the Hawks.  This without Love and JR, smh.  I'm starting to think we may not be the best match up for them.  

Dwight can dominate his matchup through physicality but everyone else at times feel like they can't touch anyone.  Pop constantly tells his team "don't foul but make them feel you."  When you give LeBron and Kyrie free reign to survey the floor and ample space to dribble freely you're asking to get mopped.  Neither seemed to turn their back to the basket all night.  

And can Bud just try to coach his guys to have their feet above the three point line to defend it?

Edited March 4, 2017 by benhillboy