The Cleveland Cavaliers rained down three-pointers and grounded the Atlanta Hawks with an emphatic 123-98 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Wednesday night. Cleveland dominated from the opening tip thanks to a scorching team-wide shooting effort, setting multiple NBA records on its way to a 2-0 lead in the series.
Hawks vs. Cavaliers 2016 final score: Cleveland sets 3-point records in 123-98 Game 2 win
The Cavs hit 25 three-pointers en route to a blowout Game 2 victory.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Less than two weeks after the Warriors set the NBA playoff record by hitting 21 three-pointers in a game against Houston, the Cavaliers passed that mark with 25 triples on Wednesday night, which is the most by any team in a game including the regular season. The team got it going early with 18 threes in the first half -- the most in one half of a playoff game in NBA history -- and kept the pedal down during a 32-point third quarter before finally laying off the gas.
That didn’t make the game feel much closer, however, because the Cavaliers had assembled a 36-point lead by halftime. You know it’s bad when your own Twitter account is Crying Jordan’ing itself:
Halftime pic.twitter.com/WxQhCekA5L
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 5, 2016
The Hawks outscored the Cavs 28-17 in the fourth quarter, but that was once the starters were out and the damage was done.
LeBron James led all scorers with 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting in just 28 minutes. With a strong 4-of-6 effort from deep, James was one of 10 different Cavaliers to hit at least one three-pointer. J.R. Smith (7-of-13), Kyrie Irving (4-of-5) and Kevin Love (3-of-4) all had strong nights from beyond the arc, too. This probably wouldn't be the team you'd expect to break an NBA record for threes -- that would probably be the team that just lost the record -- but it's a reminder that Cleveland has some ridiculous talent in its own right.
Now the Cavaliers head on the road with a comfortable 2-0 series lead. Unless the Hawks can make some major adjustments soon, this series may not last very long.
Here are three more things we learned:
A historic night of shooting, again
Sometimes you see one or two players get red-hot for a team. In Game 2, the Cavaliers had a performance that left a dent in the record books. Not only did the team set the record for most threes in a playoff game, it also set the record for most threes in a game, period. The regular season record for threes in a game was 23, set by the Magic on Jan. 13, 2009 and tied by the Rockets on Feb. 5, 2013.
The Cavs also took 45 threes, coming one shot away from the record for most three-point attempts in a playoff game (46 by the Warriors on May 25, 2015). For a league that’s continued doubling down on the long-range shot over the past few years, these nights are becoming more and more common. The Warriors’ old record for made threes in a playoff game lasted less than two weeks. We’ll see how long this one sticks.
Threes can help rebounding, too
One of the benefits of shooting three-pointers is that they tend to lead to more offensive rebound opportunities than closer shots. The Cavaliers had 12 offensive rebounds in Game 2 -- four more than the Hawks -- and this was not the game to give them extra chances. Overall, Cleveland dominated in rebounding in the beginning; they held a 27-17 advantage at halftime and finished the game with three more rebounds than Atlanta. The Hawks had the advantage in this area in Game 1, but the Cavaliers helped turn this one into a blowout with their effort on the boards.
Home court might help the Hawks
Hey, at least the Hawks played pretty well in Game 1 and get to return to Atlanta now. The second leg in Cleveland was a total disaster, but every team gets a bump from returning home. During the regular season, the Hawks were 27-14 at Philips Arena and 21-20 on the road. In the opening around against the Celtics, the Hawks won all three games at home and lost two of three in Boston. Maybe getting back home will be what Atlanta needs to settle down, win a game and get back into this series. For now, it looks like the Cavaliers are firmly in control.
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