Atlanta Hawks: Eliminated from Playoffs after Game 4
After a 100-99 loss in Game 4, the Atlanta Hawks were eliminated from the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals after a 0-4 series with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Game 4 was the Atlanta Hawks’ final chance to avoid elimination and another year of being swept by the Cavs.
It was close game in which the Hawks led the majority of, especially in the first half. Paul Millsap wasn’t messing around in the first quarter, where he scored 15 points and gave Atlanta a strong lead.
In the second quarter, the Atlanta Hawks extended their lead over the Cavs to 12 points. There was no doubt that they were fighting hard to extend the series.
The lead went back and forth in the second half, but the Hawks were just not able to finish.
Even more frustrating than losing for the fourth time in a row to Cleveland is the fact that this loss was by just one point with a final score of 100-99. The Hawks had truly given themselves a chance to win the game.
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In the end, the Hawks did have one last chance to save the game when they got the rebound after a missed three-pointer by LeBron James.
The ball was then in the hands of Dennis Schroder – which wasn’t a bad place for it. With 21 points, six assists and three rebounds, he was Atlanta’s lead scorer.
Schroder drove the ball in too deep and found himself in a triangle of Cavaliers. To make matters worse, he slipped and then found himself tied up with James, which resulted in a jump ball with just 2.8 seconds remaining.
The height difference gave James a clear advantage at 6’8”. Compared to Schroder’s 6’2”, it was no surprise when James got to the ball first and sent it in the direction of the sidelines.
It wasn’t over yet. Millsap got ahold of the ball, but didn’t have time for much of anything.
In the end, he wasn’t able to get the shot off before the buzzer. And even if he had, it wouldn’t have made a difference, because he didn’t make the shot either.
For the second year in a row, and the third time since 2009, the Atlanta Hawks have been swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Next: Atlanta Hawks Fall in Game 3, Cavs lead series 3-0
On the bright side, there are only 165 days until the start of the 2016-17 season. Maybe one of these days the Atlanta will finally figure out how to handle Cleveland.