LeBron falls just shy of triple-double as Cavaliers take 2-0 lead on wounded Hawks
The Cleveland Cavaliers have firmly seized control of the Eastern Conference Finals by taking both games on the road against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Cavaliers captured a 94-82 victory in Game 2 on Friday and will head home with a 2-0 series lead.
Leading the way for Cleveland was LeBron James, who thoroughly dominated the wounded Hawks. James finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, despite playing without Kyrie Irving, who sat out due to knee tendinitis.
To make matters worse for Atlanta, sharpshooter Kyle Korver also twisted his ankle in the fourth quarter and did not return. He joins DeMarre Carroll (knee sprain) and Thabo Sefolosha (ankle) as the injury woes pile up for Atlanta's depleted wing corp.
The end result is a ghastly outlook for the Hawks, who now face an incredible uphill climb in their quest to defeat the best player in the world.
Teams in NBA history to go up 2-0 in a best-of-7 series have gone on to win 94% of time.
That bodes well for Cavs. pic.twitter.com/83uCPqjnAK
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 23, 2015
Turning Point
Everything fell apart for the Hawks in the third quarter.
To start, the Hawks went ice-cold from the field, shooting just 7-of-22. Hawks point guard Jeff Teague epitomized Atlanta's failure, shooting just 1-of-6 from the field while failing to pick up a single assist.
To Cleveland's credit, their defense was stifling and the combination of James, Iman Shumpert and Tristan Thompson completely took Atlanta out of their motion-based offense by disrupting passing lanes.
Offensively, James took over. He pushed relentlessly on the Hawks' myriad of misses, scouting out easy points in transition for himself and his teammates. James scored 11 points in the quarter and dished out five assists, four of which led to 3-pointers.
The end result was an emphatic 30-17 frame, which ballooned Cleveland's modest five-point halftime lead into an insurmountable 18-point advantage heading into the fourth.
Star Performer
With both Irving and Kevin Love out with injury, LeBron James put the Cavaliers on his back.
James submitted a vintage performance on Friday, controlling every aspect of the game to conjure a lopsided victory for his team.
LeBron on how he makes those crazy passes: “I’ve just seen every coverage that defenses can offer me.”
— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) May 23, 2015
Pitted up against a hobbled Carroll and an undersized Kent Bazemore, James was able to impose his will against the Hawks. When Atlanta played James in single coverage, he took to the post and unleashed a flurry of sweeping hooks and layups. When they doubled, James found his teammates for open threes.
LeBron James now has 74 career 30-point playoff game, tied with Jerry West for 4th-most all-time. pic.twitter.com/v61j6CY9V8
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 23, 2015
The end result was a near triple-double for James, who finished with 30 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists in 39 minutes of play. Cleveland outscored Atlanta by 20 points with James on the court.
Highlight Reel
His name is Earl:
Thompson's tremendous block was called a foul:
Additional Highlights
Series At A Glance
Game 1: Cavaliers 97, Hawks 89 (Cavaliers lead 1-0)
Game 2: Cavaliers 94, Hawks 82 (Cavaliers lead 2-0)
Game 3: Sunday, May 24, 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 4: Tuesday, May 26, 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 5: Thursday, May 28, 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 6: Saturday, May 30, 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 7: Monday, June 1, 8:30 p.m. ET