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It’s been a week, and man do I miss Cavs basketball. Fear not, fellow Cavs fans, for our marquee matchup with the Atlanta Hawks is finally upon us. While the NBA on TNT guys might have predicted a sweep, Atlanta is no pushover of a team, and Cleveland is going to have to exploit some mismatches to really run away with this series. That being said, here are five keys to a Cleveland semifinal series victory.
Live and Die by the Three
Cleveland won and lost games at the three point line this year. They tied the then-league record for most threes in a single playoff game at 20 during their first series and in the postseason Cleveland is number one in three point attempts, averaging almost 35 attempts a game. It’s safe to say that the Cavs love the three point shot almost as much as Drake loves the Cheesecake Factory (I mean he mentions it five times in “Views”, which is at least four times too many).
Atlanta might not be the 60-win team they were last year, but they still can play. One of the top defenses in the league makes for a tough challenge. Players such as Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith need to step up, but a return of Iman Shumpert or Matthew Dellavedova’s shooting stroke will help solidify Cleveland’s hold over the Series
Click “Next” to see the fourth key to a Cavs series victory!
