Twenty-three seconds into Game 2, J.R. Smith missed a three-pointer. That was probably the low point of the night for Smith and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who proceeded to hit an NBA record 25 three-pointers as part of a 123-98 blowout win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
NBA playoff scores 2016: Cavaliers bury Hawks with endless 3-pointers in Game 2
The Cavaliers hit an NBA record 25 threes to take a 2-0 series lead over Atlanta.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
In a year where the Golden State Warriors defined excellence in long-distance shooting, it was the Cavaliers to deliver a night for the ages. Less than two weeks after Golden State, sans Stephen Curry, set the NBA postseason record with 21 three-pointers, Cleveland hit 25 in Game 2. That's not only the most ever in a playoff game, it's the most ever in a regular season game, too, breaking the old record of 23. All against a defense that was among the best in the league.
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.
One Hawks personnel member told me, "It felt like we were getting hit by machine guns."
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 5, 2016
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.
J.R. was in the zone:
Ten different Cavaliers ended up hitting at least one three-pointer. Cleveland took 45 three-point attempts in the game, just one short of the playoff record set by the Warriors a year ago. The Cavs shot just 16-of-42 (38 percent) on two-point shots, but couldn’t be stopped from distance.
LeBron James even got in on the act by hitting 4-of-6 threes. The former MVP hasn't always had his shot going this season, but everyone was participating in Game 2. Kyrie Irving shot 4-of-5 from three and 1-of-4 on twos. Kevin Love shot 3-of-4 on threes and 0-of-8 on twos as part of an 11-point, 13-rebound effort.
The Hawks will need a better all-around effort in Game 3 to turn around the series. Atlanta pumped its numbers up in garbage time but scored just 38 points in the first half. The team also allowed Cleveland to grab 12 offensive rebounds, which didn’t do it any favors on a night when the Cavs were feeling it. With things heading home to Phillips Arena, maybe they can start to salvage things, but after a closer Game 1 showed there was little room for error, the wheels came off in Game 2. A year after being swept by the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks need to avoid that fate again.
Game 3 will be Friday night.
1 other thing
Atlanta is outclassed on the wings
The Cavaliers have an advantage in this area just about every night thanks to LeBron, so it's just not really fair to Kent Bazemore and Kyle Korver. Still, it's clear those two simply aren't equipped to take on the likes of a four-time MVP like James, let alone a sharpshooter like Smith, over a seven-game series. The numbers when those two players are on and off the court in Games 1-2 paint a scary picture (via NBA.com):
| Per 100 Possessions | WITH | WITHOUT |
| Korver (56 minutes) | -35.7 | +3.9 |
| Bazemore (63 minutes) | -35.1 | +14.4 |
The Cavaliers’ numbers also see huge bumps when James and Smith are playing vs. when they’re on the bench.
While none of this is particularly surprising in general, the degree to which Korver and Bazemore are getting outplayed is worrisome. Korver averaged five three-point shot attempts at a 40-percent clip during the regular season. He's 1-of-3 in the first two games. The Hawks losing DeMarre Carroll at small forward over the offseason was considered a major loss, and in this series, we're seeing just how much they miss him.
Play of the night
Off the head! When you hit 25 three-pointers in a game, inevitably some of them are going to be of the lucky variety.
1 fun thing
Scores
Cavaliers 123, Hawks 98 (Fear the Sword recap | Peachtree Hoops recap)
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Draymond Green’s mom is the Warriors’ 6th man
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