The Hawks gave it their best shot and still came up short against the Cavaliers in Game 1. That’s nothing new. Cleveland has now won eight straight over Atlanta, including a sweep in last year’s Eastern Conference Final.
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LOOK AHEAD
The Cavaliers have had so much success against the Hawks lately that when they jumped out to an 18-point lead with about four minutes to play in the third quarter of Monday’s Game 1, Cleveland probably thought it was over. It wasn’t. With eight minutes left in the game, Atlanta had an 80-79 lead.
Perhaps the Cavaliers needed a game like this. No matter how much respect they tried to have for the Hawks, the Cavs know they swept Atlanta in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. They know they won all three regular season games. Most of all, the Cavs know they are the superior team. But they still can mess up this series if they fail to pay attention on the defensive end of the court.
INJURIES
Kevin Love, whose dislocated left shoulder ended his first postseason last year, banged his right shoulder in the fourth quarter when he pump-faked Kent Bazemore into the air and drew contact while shooting a three-pointer. During a timeout, one of Cleveland’s medical trainers worked on Love, who stayed in the game. “I’m fine,” said Love, who made two of his free throws.
KEY MATCHUP
Jeff Teague certainly can talk a good game. Now the Hawks need their point guard to back it up. Teague was up and down in the Boston series, but when he was up the Hawks were good. He has held his own in past matchups with the Cavs and Kyrie Irving, and the Hawks will need him to make Irving work on the defensive end of the floor. Teague scored only eight points in Game 1 against the Cavs and he did not commit a turnover in his nearly 22 minutes of action.
Atlanta doesn’t rely on Teague to carry the load offensively – they have Paul Millsap and Al Horford to handle that chore. His true value will be measured on the defensive end. But in many ways, Teague could be the X-factor for Atlanta. If he can make Irving work and match him on both ends of the court, then the Hawks are a step closer to victory. Teague has, after all, averaged more points and assists against the Cavs in his career than against any other team.
QUICK PICK
The Hawks are very capable of making this a series. They did launch a big comeback and took the lead in the fourth quarter of Game 1 before faltering in the end. And there lies the problem. All season the Hawks just couldn’t sustain the style of play that allowed them to overcome an 18-point second-half deficit on the road for a full 48 minutes.
When they flash the ball movement and accurate shooting along with stifling defensive play that got them 48 wins and into the second round, the Hawks are really good. After eight straight losses to the Cavs overall and nine straight in the playoffs, there’s a mental block that will be tough to overcome.
NBA Odds: Cleveland 107, Atlanta 101
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