The Cleveland Cavaliers coughed up an 18-point lead, but pulled away down the stretch to beat the Atlanta Hawks 104-93 to take a 1-0 series lead in their second-round playoff series. LeBron James had 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to lead the Cavaliers.
Hawks vs. Cavaliers 2016 results: Cleveland fends off Atlanta rally to take Game 1
The Cavaliers took Game 1, 104-93, behind a big night from LeBron James.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Dennis Schroder had 27 points off the bench to lead the Hawks, who nearly pulled off an improbable Game 1 upset. James and the Cavaliers were too much in the final moments, however, and will have a chance to go up 2-0 on Wednesday night in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers shook off any bit of rust following their 4-0 sweep of the Detroit Pistons by jumping out to a 30-19 first-quarter lead behind the hot shooting of Kyrie Irving. They cooled down in the second quarter, scoring only 21 points, but still had a 10-point lead at the half. They stymied the Hawks through two quarters -- Al Horford was 0-for-6 from the field and Kyle Korver only got off one shot. Kent Bazemore did his best to keep the Hawks in it, but they couldn't get anything going offensively, shooting only 29.8 percent from the field and 27.8 percent from deep.
Cleveland eventually found it’s groove in the third. James kickstarted a run as the Cavaliers extended their lead to 18. The Hawks didn’t fold, though. They went on a run of their own in the final moments of the third and trailed by only four heading into the fourth.
Atlanta played stifling defense and took an 80-79 lead with less than eight minutes to play. Then things got fun, with the teams trading buckets down the stretch. The Cavaliers took a 90-88 lead after a J.R. Smith three with 4:06 to play, and they never looked back as they held on for an 11-point win.
Here are three things we learned:
LeBron James (still) cannot be stopped
In last year's Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James had his way with the Hawks, running roughshod as the Cavaliers coasted to a 4-0 sweep. He picked up right where he left off in Game 1, simply dominating the Hawks. It's easy to say, but James is still the best player on the court nearly 100 percent of the time. He hurts you in so many different ways -- whether he's driving to the hoop for a score or finding Richard Jefferson for wide-open looks.
These passes by @KingJames https://t.co/xMpV8nvpjG
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 2, 2016
The Hawks dared James to beat them from deep, and he had no problem doing so, going 2-of-4 from beyond the arc while letting the Hawks know they shouldn’t leave him open. If the Hawks are going to have a chance this series, they’re going to have to find a way to slow James down.
James did, however, have some lapses that he needs to work on if the Cavaliers are going to continue to have success. Bazemore caught him napping defensively on a few occasions.
The Hawks defense buckled down, but it couldn’t deliver
After a disastrous first quarter the Hawks defense calmed down, holding the Cavaliers to 21 points in the second quarter. It wasn’t sustainable against the Cleveland offense when it was firing on all cylinders, but they only let the Cavaliers score in bursts. The Hawks started reading the passing lanes and breaking up the Cavaliers offense midway through the third -- and it brought them back into the game.
The Cleveland defense, to its credit, did a great job of shutting down the Hawks for the first two and a half quarters. Tristan Thompson -- who was a monster on the boards on both sides of the court -- played well against Paul Millsap, and Kyle Korver couldn't find an open look for the life of him. The Hawks started to figure things out offensively when they were creating opportunities on the defensive end that led to transition buckets.
The Hawks are ready to turn this into a series
The Hawks made their run with Schroder running the point -- it was their bench that helped them climb out of the depths. If they’re going to stick with the Cavaliers over seven games, however, the starters are going to need to step up. It’s a great sign for Atlanta: They almost stole Game 1 despite playing far from their best. But it’s also a bad sign: The Cavaliers aren’t likely to cough up an 18-point lead again. The Cavaliers are still favored to win this series, but it’s not the same Hawks team they swept last year -- this Atlanta team has fight.
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