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After stealing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Atlanta, the Cleveland Cavaliers have validated the theory that, come playoff time, regular season records are meaningless. The Houston Rockets were swept by the Golden State Warriors by an average difference of 14.1 ppg in the regular season before insinuating this thesis after falling short in Games 1 and 2 by the narrowest of margins. The Cavs now lead 1-0 and have a magnificent opportunity to swipe a second straight road victory from a Hawks team that couldn’t find a lot of answers in Game 1. Here are five reasons why the Cavaliers can return to the Land with a chance to sweep and earn some much needed rest while the Warriors and Rockets exhaustively duke it out in the West. First of all…
1. Cleveland Crashes The (Offensive) Glass
There really isn’t enough that can be said about Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov. These monsters have anchored the Cavs on both ends on the floor with their tenacity, aggressiveness and intangible athleticism. In Game 1, Thompson and Mozgov combined for nine offensive rebounds, besting the Hawks team total of seven.
David Goldman | AP
In total, the Cavs out-rebounded Atlanta 49 to 37. Naturally, the Hawks have struggled to rebound the basketball with their undersized lineup; people forget that Al Horford is playing Center with a Power Forward body! But as a team, the Cavs have committed to team rebounding. For example, in addition to a stellar shooting performance, J.R. Smith also snagged eight rebounds. LeBron James added eight and Iman Shumpert tracked down seven more. Fact is, this postseason, Cleveland is undefeated (9-0) when they match or out-rebound their opponent.
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Dale Zanine | USA Today Sports
2. J.R. Smith Has Paid For His Sins
After being suspended for the first two games of the Eastern Semifinals, J.R. Smith has been a consistent contributor by accepting a role he’s really familiar with: coming off the bench. As a former Sixth Man of the Year, Smith knows how to establish himself; the man is not shy, giving Cleveland a reliable scorer and versatile defender when its starters struggle and rest. With LeBron James on the bench, J.R. Smith opens up the fourth quarter in Game leading the Cavs on an 8-0 run with two threes and this beautiful dribble and dish:
Since his suspension, Smith is averaging 15.8 ppg while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 51.3 percent from deep; talk about consistency, huh? He’s also sunk an average of four triples each game, including a Cavalier franchise record eight triples in Game 1 against the Hawks. Embracing the reunion of his reserve role, J.R. Smith has been responsible for nearly 60 percent of all bench scoring; in Game 1, he scored all 28 bench points.
When asked why he feels like things have worked in Cleveland but not New York, he said:
“I’m just being myself, they seem to accept that more here. I’m just having fun.”
James Colquhoun | Cavs Nation
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3. There Is No Answer For The King
After going down in a scary play with no contact, a MRI revealed that Atlanta’s DeMarre Carroll only suffered a sprained knee with no structural damage. A relief for the Hawks, as Carroll has been one of their greatest contributors, averaging 17.1 ppg, 6.8 rbg and holds the honor of guarding LeBron James as Atlanta’s best defender in the playoffs.
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Nevertheless, his energy could not match that of James. LeBron went on a two-fold tear in the second and fourth quarters, scoring 14 points in one and silencing a Hawks rally in the other:
Depending on Carroll’s availability (Questionable) in Game 2, the Hawks might be in even more trouble. Their other options boil down to either an undersized Kent Bazemore or Paul Millsap, who couldn’t hang with the King late in Game 1:
LeBron passed Michael Jordan for the most playoff games with at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists. Atlanta has some potential but no promise – only LeBron can stop LeBron here.
Matt Thomas | Cavs Nation
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4. Cleveland Is Playing Better Team Basketball Than The “Spurs 2.0”
With four underrated All-Stars, the Hawks run a very balanced system with a heavy focus on ball movement and team defense. Compared to Cleveland, Atlanta boasts a lot more chemistry, but they lack a priceless factor at this stage of the playoffs: experience. Under LeBron James’ leadership, Cleveland played through adversity as they have all postseason. Together, they bested Atlanta in every aspect of the game the Hawks thrive on: more assists and more bench points.
This trust that the Cavs have placed in one another has also earned Cleveland the respect of a consistent, defensive team. Working around their injuries, the Cavs have bought into Coach Blatt’s cohesive system, surrendering the fewest points per game and rejecting the second to most shots in the postseason.
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As a result of these team efforts, Coach Blatt has been able to allocate his players’ minutes much more effectively. In Game 1, he played both James and Shumpert for under 40 minutes, Mozgov for less than 25 and gave Irving a much-needed sub-thirty game; all minutes under their season and playoff averages. Consequently, additional minutes were passed on to the next men up, with Matthew Dellavedoa playing 25 minutes and Smith with 35 minutes of target practice, similar to their stellar performances in the Game 6 closer against Chicago. These provisions will keep the Cavs from being too monotonous offensively while refreshing their legs and focus defensively. Atlanta has no hope if Cleveland can beat them at their own game. As Coach Blatt preaches:
“The power of team trumps all.”
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5. Both Teams Have Teamwork, But Cleveland Has Talent
For Cleveland, if all else fails, there’s always the luxury of raw ability. From having the best player in the world in LeBron James to a confidently cool customer in J.R. Smith, the Cavs have the upper hand in most matchups this series. Aside from this obvious blessing is the disturbing curse that comes with falling in love with isolation basketball; and no one falls harder than Cleveland.
Via ESPN
After a fourth quarter blitz where the Cavaliers captured a late 15-point advantage, the team stepped outside of its game plan to slow the tempo and kill some time. The result was too many forced shots, costly turnovers and a draining tide of anxiety that pulled every Cavs fan when the Hawks cut the deficit to four points late in the fourth. Outspoken about his love of playing on the road, LeBron James did what he had to do to win. Nothing glamorous, but he forced Atlanta to be better than him, which is always a tough task to accomplish in isolation:
What’s extraordinary about Cleveland is that LeBron James is not the only player who’s capable of doing this. We’ve seen a healthy Kyrie Irving silence the defending champion’s home crowd and J.R. Smith defy all doubt with the flick of a wrist. On the other end, we count on relentless hustle from Iman Shumpert and Delly’s pitbull instinct. Unlike his first tenure in Cleveland, LeBron James has the weapons around him to win any battle to the finals.
Ultimately, Cleveland has too much leadership rooted in experience, aggressiveness propelled by athleticism and sheer talent for Atlanta. The Cavaliers will always have a respectable chance to win against the Hawks and thus the possibility of an ECF sweep.
