2016 NBA playoffs: Cavaliers shoot the lights out to beat Hawks in Game 2

The Cavs got the records going early by hitting 18 threes in the first half, which is also an NBA playoff record. The team broke the old record for threes in a half (12) midway through the second quarter, setting the stage for a performance that’s left its mark on the record books and, presumably, the Hawks’ psyche.

Smith led the team by shooting 7-of-13 from beyond the arc en route to 23 points in 28 minutes. The shooting guard has been streaky throughout his career, but he’s shooting 28-of-53 (53 percent) from three so far this postseason. While that perimeter-oriented style has led to just four free throw attempts (and one make) in 208 minutes, the efficient three-point shooting and lack of turnovers (one in six games) more than make up for it.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

DOWNTOWN: The Cavaliers broke all sorts of records for three-pointers on Wednesday, including the single-game record for most makes (25) and the playoff record for threes in a half (18 in the first). Cleveland was up 36 on Atlanta at halftime; it got to the point that the Hawks’ official Twitter (which is excellent) Crying Jordaned itself. J.R. Smith had six threes in the first half; he and the Cavs as a whole chilled in the second half but still smoked the Hawks. If Atlanta can’t shake things up at home, they might need to give up the ghost with this core ...

Well, yes, literally anything. In this case, literally anything was the Cavaliers hitting the most three-pointers in any NBA game ever. They destroyed the record for threes in a half (12) with a nuclear missile, knocking down 18 in the first 24 minutes, and ended the game with 25, breaking first the NBA playoff record (21) and then the overall record for regular season games (23). It was an incredible, brutal performance by the best team in the Eastern Conference against the Hawks, who finished the season as the NBA’s second-best defense. Many of the shots Cleveland hit were difficult, contested looks, too! It didn’t matter. They were going in.

From SB Nation to Atlanta Hawks fans, we offer our dearest condolences. That could not have been fun. We’ve all been there, but never quite like that.

The true travesty, though, is that Williams didn’t receive an assist for this, since it was deflected. This is honestly an outrage. Hopefully Adam Silver will roll into the league office on Thursday morning and immediately award Williams an assist for it. If not, then I’m willing to go out on a limb and declare that this is the greatest pass not counted as an assist in NBA history. (This probably isn’t true but if I say it confidently enough then it sounds correct.)

Here’s the sad photo, saying no one assisted on the shot. Try not to cry.

UPDATE 8:49 p.m.: Kyrie Irving making a three with 5:05 left in the third quarter, giving Cleveland 22 made threes, which is the all-time playoff record. Now, they need two more to surpass the regular season record, which is 23 made triples.

So does the fact that the Atlanta Hawks CRYING JORDAN’d themselves.