Atlanta Hawks Lose Close Game 1 Against Cleveland Cavaliers
Though based on previous records the odds of the Atlanta Hawks winning this series seem to be stacked against them, they had a very good chance of defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 on Monday night.
The Cavs were coming off of an 8-day break, after winning their series with the Detroit Pistons, and hadn’t played a game since April 24. However, it didn’t seem to matter, especially for LeBron James, who totaled 25 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists.
Though LeBron’s stats in Game 1 were lower than his average against the Atlanta Hawks in last year’s series (30.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists), he was still making all the right plays, especially to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
Irving was right behind James, with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Love also contributed to the Cavs’ success with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Together, James, Irving and Love carried Cleveland to a win. With the exception of J.R. Smith with 12 points, the rest of the Cavs remained in single digits.
Though they only lead once in the entire night, the Atlanta Hawks trailed closely behind Cleveland in the majority of the fourth quarter. Atlanta made quite the comeback, considering the Cavs once held an 18 point lead.
Unfortunately, the Hawks were not able to maintain their once game altering momentum, and the Cavs took the lead in the final minutes to take the win, 104-93. Overall, the Hawks shot 37.9 percent, compared to the Cavs 44.6 percent, and were 32.4 percent in three-point attempts while the Cavs were 48.4.
The Hawks’ implementation of extraordinary defense was one of the reasons that they were able to manage such a close game in the second half. Although they weren’t scoring like they should have, the defense was certainly making up for it.
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What about Dennis Schroder and his career high 27 points? With 27 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds, Schroder was the Hawks’ lead scorer on Monday night. In addition to Paul Millsap’s 17 points, 13 rebounds, and Kent Bazemore’s 16 points and 12 rebounds, it seemed like the Hawks were in a good position to take a win, right?
Wrong. Though Schroder, Millsap, and Bazemore all had a good night, it was the rest of the team that kept them out of reach. Al Horford scored 10 points compared to his 15.2 point average. Kyle Korver disappeared yet again, scoring just 3 points. Jeff Teague had 8 points when he typically averages 15.7.
Mike Scott and Thabo Sefolosha, who both played great in the Boston Celtics series, didn’t put up many points in Game 1 either. Tim Hardaway Jr., who had 7 rebounds, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in the last game against the Celtics, scored nothing on Monday night.
All in all, when you’ve got a lead scorer from the bench (props to Schroder), and half of your starters aren’t putting up numbers like they normally do, you’re not going to maintain a lead against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, much less pull of a win.
The Atlanta Hawks have proven that they are capable. Everyone has seen what this team can do. If they keep playing excellent defense, focus on playing their game, and keep LeBron from imposing his will, they’ve truly got a shot at this series.
Next: Atlanta Hawks Get Ready for Cleveland Cavaliers
Game 2 will take place at the Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday, May 4, at 8:00 p.m. on TNT.