Cavs’ Grit and Defense (and LeBron) Even Up the Series

We don’t think anyone can say the Cleveland Cavaliers lack heart.

They came into The Finals without Kevin Love and then lost Kyrie Irving during the first game with a fractured kneecap, but they gritted out a win last night to even the series at a game apiece with a 95-93 victory over Golden State in overtime.

Oh, and LeBron James showed once again why he’s still the best player in the sport with a virtuoso performance, scoring 39 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and making 11 assists in 50 minutes.

David Blatt’s team controlled the tempo and turned up the defensive intensity, holding the Warriors to under 60 points through three quarters, and under 90 points in regulation.

The wine and gold played gritty solid defense and bothered Stephen Curry into a 5 for 23 shooting night, with Matthew Dellavedova playing the role as main pest.

And for the most part, the coaching staff made adjustments all night long.

When Steve Kerr tried to go small, the Cavs countered by staying with Timofey Mozgov, and going to him a lot. The big Russian responded with 17 points, and went to the line 12 times, mainly because whoever was trying to guard him, mostly Draymond Green, lacked the size to handle him near the basket.

That said, we wish the coach would have gone back to Mozgov when the Warriors were intentionally fouling Tristan Thompson in the fourth quarter. We understand Thompson is the superior defensive player, able to guard guys much smaller than he is, but it would have messed up the strategy, and they could have used Mozgov’s superior offense in the post.

To be sure, Golden State fans will say that Curry won’t be this bad again in the series, but we would counter that by saying although Klay Thompson is an all-star, he probably won’t be as hot as he was in the first half either.

Nor will LeBron James have another game where he shoots 33% from the floor (11 for 34). If James is more efficient with his shooting going forward, it bodes well for the wine and gold.

Also, while the Warriors got a huge offensive boost from Andre Iguodala in game one (which we said was unlikely to happen again), the Cavs haven’t had a big game yet from J.R. Smith, who is capable of knocking down seven or eight three-pointers on a given night.

Cleveland did get a good game from James Jones last night, as he scored eight points in 23 minutes, but Smith and Iman Shumpert are capable of hitting long range shots that will open up the defense.

By the way, Shumpert did hit a huge three at the start of overtime last night.

And it is also doubtful the Cavs will shoot 32% as a team in the confines of Quicken Loans Arena.

Coming home doesn’t guarantee anything for the Cavs, and we are sure Mr. James will NOT let anyone of his teammates fall prey to complacency.

The concern is that since the Cavs are really only playing seven guys, the quick turn around could lead to fatigue, particularly late in the game. Blatt may need more minutes from Mike Miller and perhaps Shawn Marion tomorrow night, especially with the first two games going overtime.

The old adage is that defense is a constant, and that’s the biggest reason the Cleveland Cavaliers are in this series. Three more efforts like last night will be needed.

Tribe Last 27 Games, Much Better Than First 27.

When we evaluated the Cleveland Indians after the first sixth of the season, they were floundering at 10-17, on a pace to go 60-102 for the season.

The next 27 games proved to be much more successful, mostly due to the starting pitching and the bullpen settled into some redefined roles.

Terry Francona’s club went 16-11 in this group of games and hit the one-third point in the season at 26-28 and very much in the mix for a post-season berth.

The Royals have come back to the pack a bit and the Tigers have been in a major slump, so the surprising Minnesota Twins are currently the division leaders, with the Indians five games back. They sit just two and a half games out of a wild card spot.

The offense improved, thanks to a historic month by Jason Kipnis, who was moved to the leadoff spot, and currently sits 6th in the American League in runs scored per game. They are 4th in the league in OPS, mostly because they are 2nd in on base percentage, led by Carlos Santana, who leads the AL in walks.

Still, the offense is inconsistent. In the last 28 games, the Tribe scored three runs or less in 14 of them, exactly half of them. However, they scored seven or more runs in six games, which is what improved their ranking. Thanks to the pitching staff, they won four of the games they scored three runs or fewer.

The Twins rank just ahead of Cleveland in runs per game, and they had 10 games of three runs or less in that span, along with seven games scoring seven or more. It’s a slightly less volatile attack.

When they score four or more runs, the Indians are 21-9.

Without a more consistent offense, the pitching has to shoulder the entire burden for this team winning.

The Tribe pitching staff ranks 11th in the Junior Circuit in ERA, but the way the starters are going, they will continue to rise in that statistic. And they lead the AL in strikeouts by a wide margin, fanning 39 more hitters than Tampa Bay in two fewer games.

The “Big Four” of Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco, and Danny Salazar all have allowed fewer hits than innings pitched and struck out twice as many hitters as they have walked. That is outstanding.

All of them have an ERA under 4.00 as well. Over the last month, since Kluber’s 18 strikeout performance against St. Louis, a span of 23 games, Tribe pitchers have allowed more than four runs in a game just four times, and in two of those games, they allowed just five runs.

That’s dominant pitching.

Shawn Marcum isn’t the fireballer the rest of the guys are, but he’s provided good outing in three of his four starts. Despite not being able to throw in the mid 90’s, he is striking out almost a hitter per inning.

As for the bullpen, Cody Allen has pitched well since the end of April, allowing just four earned runs in 16-1/3 innings, striking out 23. His return to form has stabilized the ‘pen, and the others have followed suit.

Bryan Shaw is looking more and more like the guy who pitched here in 2013 and 2014.

Zack McAllister and Nick Hagadone have been inconsistent, and Scott Atchison was not pitching well before he went on the DL with an ankle injury.

Things are looking up at Progressive Field.

The starters are throwing like we all expected entering the season, and if the bats can start showing some improvement, it could be a fun summer downtown.

What a difference the second sixth of the season was.

Cavs Lose Game One, Doesn’t Mean It’s Over

The city of Cleveland is left bemoaning a lost opportunity last night, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Golden State Warriors, 108-100 in overtime in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The Cavs had the ball at the end of regulations and it was in LeBron James’ hands. But, Andre Iguodala did a good job defensively, James missed, and the resulting rebound/flip at the hoop by Iman Shumpert just missed winning the game.

Overtime was a disaster, as Cleveland didn’t score until less than a minute remaining, and Kyrie Irving limped off the floor with an apparent knee problem, perhaps aggravating his tendonitis.

However, let’s look at the bright side.

The wine and gold almost won this game despite not getting much offensively from Shumpert and J.R. Smith. James Jones played 16 minutes and took one shot, missing it.

This means James and Irving, who scored 23 points in an excellent performance, had little help from the players who have performed so well from the perimeter in these playoffs.

And Golden State got a tremendous game from Andre Iguodala, who scored 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting. This year, when shooting more than five times in a game, Iguodala had this kind of performance just five times. Meaning, considering the stage, he played the game of his life, at least offensively.

He’s a 47% shooter from the floor, 35% from behind the arc, yet last night, everything he shot went in the basket. Do we think that will happen again? It’s doubtful.

The problem is, Golden State has other players who can, and it is likely that Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will score more than the 47 points they combined for yesterday.

However, is it equally likely that the Cavs will get more out of Smith, Shumpert, Dellavedova, and Jones? We would say yes to that as well.

Obviously, the key is Irving’s health. Can he possibly go in Game 2?

Remember, all the Warriors are doing right now is holding serve. No matter what happens Sunday night, if the wine and gold win their home games, the series will be even a two games apiece.

Cleveland had a chance to take this one. There’s no reason to think they can’t do it again, especially if they put the same defensive effort and get more offensively from their long range shooters.

Other thoughts on the game–

Timofey Mozgov was outstanding last night, scoring 16 points and 7 rebounds. He may have to play at that level, at least offensively if the Cavaliers have a chance in this series.

The officials did play a part, making a horrible traveling call on Mozgov late in the fourth quarter on a play that would have given Cleveland a two point lead with less than a minute to go. We understand they missed plays on both side, but that was just wrong.

Also, could they call any one of the five or six moving picks on Andrew Bogut? He’s like a pulling guard on the football field. No wonder Curry and Thompson get wide open looks.

One adjustment the Cavs made was to challenge outlet passes after missed shots, somebody jumped back to try to slow down the Warriors from racing down the floor. It slowed the tempo just enough. A good move by the coaching staff.

A Look at The Numbers–Cavs and Warriors.

Thursday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers start the last leg on the road to a possible NBA championship when they take on the Golden State Warriors in The Finals.

The Warriors, led by league MVP Stephen Curry, had the league’s best record at 67-15. They led the league in scoring at 110 points per contest, and also were the league’s best in terms of the most meaningful defensive statistic, opponents field goal percentage, holding teams to a 42.8% figure.

As a comparison, the Cavs ranked 8th in scoring at 103.1 each time they took the floor, but they were eighth worst in the NBA in defensive field goal percent, allowing their opponents to hit 45.6% from the floor.

Based on this, you would think David Blatt’s team doesn’t have a shot.

However, in the playoffs, the Warriors have dropped to 104.3 points offensively, a drop of over five points per game. Their opponents have shot relatively the same, making 43.1% of their attempts.

The Cavs’ offensive output is about the same, scoring 101.4 points, a decline of less than two points. The big difference is on defense, where Cleveland has held the Celtics, Bulls, and Hawks to 41.2% shooting, more than four points better than in the regular season.

As a matter of comparison, the wine and gold’s three opponents ranked 10th (Hawks), 13th (Celtics) and 15th (Bulls) in scoring during the 82 game schedule. In terms of field goal percentage only Atlanta (4th) was in the top 20.

But it isn’t like the Warriors stopped the Showtime Lakers in the playoffs either, as only Houston (6th) was in the top ten in scoring. New Orleans was 16th and Memphis was 20th. However, the Grizzlies and Pelicans were in the top ten in field goal percentage, while the Rockets were 20th.

The Warriors can shoot, make no mistake about that. Curry and his Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, are likely to pull up and shoot long-range three-point shots from anywhere and in any situation.

Cleveland shoots the three ball well too, but it is more likely to occur from penetration and then a kick out to a shooter spotting up.

Can the Cavs bring home a title?

It will no doubt be difficult. The Warriors seem like a finesse team, but they are solid defensively, and in Andrew Bogut, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala, they have some grit.

Golden State has the home court, so really, if the Cavaliers lose the first two games, it is no reason to panic. They have to come back to Cleveland for a chance to make it a best of three series.

Remember in 2007, the Cavs lost the first two games in the Eastern Conference finals on the road in Detroit, before roaring back to win the last four games.

The pressure is on the Warriors for at least those games. They are the favorite, and they need to keep the home court advantage as the series heads back to Cleveland.

If the Cavs can stop Curry and Thompson from going crazy, they can win the series. Yes, the Warriors have some depth, but if you can keep the Splash Brothers under 50 points for the night, you have a pretty good chance for victory.

Steve Kerr will have to figure out a way to contain LeBron James, if he double teams him, LBJ will find one of his cast of shooters from the perimeter. If Golden State plays him one on one, he might score over 40 points.

The difference for LeBron is these playoffs is his constant attacking of the basket. He is posting up more than ever in a Cavs’ uniform, making himself close to unstoppable.

It will be a great series. That’s the only prediction we are willing to make.

Our Experiences and Suggestions at Progressive Field

Last Monday was Memorial Day. The weather was gorgeous, sunny and warm, and the Cleveland Indians were playing the Texas Rangers with a 4:05 start time.

A perfect day to take in a ball game.

13,000 people showed up. And keep in mind, the Indians made the wild card game in 2013, and went to the last weekend of the season in 2014 before being eliminated.

Even in Tampa, a city which probably shouldn’t have a major league baseball team, and hasn’t ever warmed to the Rays, drew 15,000 folks.

In Miami, another city not known as a baseball hot spot, they had over 21,000 in attendance.

And it Pittsburgh, a blue-collar town very comparable to Cleveland, more than 39,000 poured into PNC Park to watch the Pirates.

We understand the fans don’t trust the ownership and front office of the Indians, and although local television rating are high, no one ventures to Progressive Field.

We have attended three Tribe games downtown this month and here are our impressions.

Although we mocked the new bar in right field, it is very nice. Our objection was to taking seats out of the park instead of giving fans a reason to buy tickets for the seats the organization removed.

And there are certainly many, many different foods and beverages to consume. It is very different from when we attended games as a kid and people looked at you weird if you wanted a hamburger instead of a hot dog.

We don’t like how the upper deck in right field looks. Your eyes are drawn to it because it is kind of a monstrosity, out of place with the rest of the park.

We did attend Corey Kluber’s 18 strikeout masterpiece against St. Louis.

What was strange about the game is we really didn’t know how many strikeouts Kluber was racking up. It wasn’t publicized to our knowledge, and we look at the various scoreboards a lot.

We finally went on our phone to keep track of Kluber’s accomplishment.

And when the right-hander fanned his 18th hitter in the top of the eighth, once again, we did not detect any mention that Kluber had tied Bob Feller’s club record for strikeouts in a game.

Very, very strange.

We also bought tickets at Progressive Field the day of a game, which is a ridiculous experience. We paid almost double what the tickets are listed at on-line. This is mind-boggling. It is almost that the front office is trying to discourage fans who may be downtown at the casino or a restaurant from going to the game.

With attendance the way it is, they should be embracing anyone who wants to enter the gates.

We understand the Indians want people to buy seats in advance, but at the very least, they should be the same price as what you could buy them at the day before. You are being penalized for making a last second decision.

Gone are the days you could decide at 6PM to go see the Tribe, we guess.

And if you want to buy tickets from a human being, good luck, they want you to buy from their ticket kiosks electronically. There aren’t many ticket windows open.

The Indians need to do something to get people inside Progressive Field. A good start would be to end this practice.

Progressive Field is still a great place to watch a baseball game. It has excellent sight lines, and great food/beverage choices. Yes, it is a little expensive, but you are a captive audience.

Start having different promotions. Embrace their inner Bill Veeck.

Someone on Twitter suggested a “Support Chief Wahoo Night”, something the politically correct front office would never go for, but would draw fans in our opinion.

We know they have bobble head nights, fireworks nights, and dollar dog games. Those are fine. But, they need to start thinking out of the box. Make it fun to go to the ballpark.

In our opinion, that’s lacking right now.

Two Teams Left in NBA, And One of Them is The Cavs!

Next week, something will happen that doesn’t occur all that often in these parts.

A Cleveland team is playing for a professional sports league championship. And as not to offend the indoor soccer fans in northeast Ohio, it is happening in one of the “big four” sports.

The last time a team from Cleveland had a chance to bring home a title was 2007, when the Cavaliers were swept in four straight by the San Antonio Spurs.

But when you think back since the Browns won the NFL Championship in 1964, there hasn’t been many times where one of our teams had a chance to end our championship drought.

The first time was in 1965, a time when we didn’t have a jinx or a curse, because the Browns were among pro football’s elite. They were the defending champions and went into Green Bay and were defeated by Vince Lombardi’s team, 23-12.

Little did we know then that the Browns wouldn’t have another chance to win a title, now called the Super Bowl. That string continues to this day.

It took 30 years before another Cleveland squad played for the ultimate prize, when the Indians dominated the American League with 100 wins in a 144 game schedule and ran through the playoffs to win the AL Championship and get to the World Series for the first time since 1954.

Alas, the Atlanta Braves defeated them 4-2 to take the trophy.

It didn’t take long to have another chance, as the Tribe returned to the World Series just two years later, and got as close as any team to winning the big prize, carrying a lead into the ninth inning of the seventh and deciding game, before the Florida Marlins tied it and won it in extra innings.

There have been stories told about how the Commissioner’s Trophy was in the Indians’ locker room, and the clubhouse was being readied for a celebration, only to have it all taken away.

That one stings the most. A championship was right in our hands, and it was taken away with the snap of a finger.

It was ten more years before Cleveland got another shot at a title with the Cavs in 2007, and it has taken another eight years before this opportunity.

For all the soul crushing moments we have endured as a fandom, outside of the ’97 World Series, they occurred before a chance to play for a title.

The Browns’ heart breaks all occurred in the AFC Championship game, a step before the Super Bowl, and “The Shot” happened to the Cavaliers in a first round series against the Bulls.

Our point is this, savor the moment. Even though the city has waited 51 years for a professional sports title, what is even more stunning is there haven’t been all that many opportunities. This is just the fifth in the last 50 years.

Of course, if the Cavs were to lose to Golden State in The Finals, that wouldn’t make the pain and the disappointment wouldn’t be any less.

Just let it soak in, there are only two teams remaining in the NBA, and one of them is from Cleveland.

Punishment Should Be Tougher For Playoff Cheap Shots

The NBA has a problem with dirty play in the playoffs, and we in Cleveland, have seen first hand that there is one.

Look, we are not talking here about physical play. The league has homogenized itself and the “hard” fouls of the 70’s and 80’s aren’t present anymore.

Can you imagine what would have happened to Kevin McHale today, when he clotheslined Laker forward Kurt Rambis driving to the basket in the 1984 Finals? He would have been given a Flagrant II foul (we love the roman numerals the league uses here), been ejected, and probably suspended for at least one more game.

Instead, the Celtics won in seven games.

The difference back then is the players in those days were sending a message. There were going to be no easy points to be had. The Pistons of the late 80’s and early 90’s, led by Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn, kind of started the gratuitous violence, the cheap shot plays that have now been outlawed.

We in Cleveland can all remember Mahorn’s elbow to Mark Price’s head in 1989, which ruined the Cavs chance at winning the Eastern Conference championship that year. Cleveland was 41-12 heading into that contest. They were 16-15 the balance on the season.

Now back to the league’s problem. In game four of the first round series against Boston, we are all familiar with Kelly Olynyk’s dislocating the shoulder of Kevin Love. Love is out for the playoffs, likely missing his first appearance in the NBA Finals.

Olynyk received a one game suspension, to be served on opening night of the 2015-16 season. That’s not really a big price. The Celts were already down 3-0 in the series, so what consequence was there for any Boston player? They were done.

In the next series, against the Chicago Bulls, there was another cheap shot in the game that decided the series. With the Cavaliers up 3-2, Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic clotheslined Cavs’ guard Iman Shumpert as he was driving past him. Mirotic wasn’t ejected for the play.

Again, even if he had been kicked out of the game, what’s the real penalty here. Shumpert’s squad was advancing, and he could have missed a game or two (he didn’t) because of Mirotic’s play. If he was assessed a flagrant foul, he likely would have missed the Bulls’ opener this fall. Big deal.

In both cases, what is the risk for the team that is going home? None, absolutely none.

Olynyk’s foul put Love out of the post-season, and Shumpert could have been seriously hurt as well, missing time in the playoffs. The penalty should be much tougher for the player committing the act.

Would either player have done the same thing is he knew a 10 game suspension was at stake? Would a coach condone that type of play knowing he would lose a player for that amount of time?

Not likely. This is where the “brotherhood” Al Horford talked about should be focused on, not players making hustle plays.

We write this because tomorrow night is another night where the Cavaliers are playing a game that can eliminate their opponent. WIth tensions running high because of Horford’s ejection last night, it would not be surprising for the Hawks to send a cheap shot toward a Cavaliers’ player.

To prevent stuff like this, the NBA must enact tougher policies on these types of plays. Before another key player on any team, not just the Cavs ends up missing the balance of the playoffs, just like the player who is delivering the blow.

Kluber’s Resurgence Sparks Tribe

When Corey Kluber took the mound on May 13th against the St. Louis Cardinals, he had an ERA over 5.00, and hadn’t won a game.

He showed his Cy Young Award winning form that night, striking out 18 hitters in eight scoreless innings, and allowed one hit in a 2-0 victory.

The Indians’ pitching staff seemed to rediscover itself on that night.

In the last 11 games, including that night, the Tribe pitchers have allowed just 30 runs, an average of less than three runs per night. You will win a lot of games when you hold the opponents like that.

And Cleveland has, they have won eight of those contests.

It seems that getting Kluber straightened out has sparked the club, and the other starters have followed the ace’s lead, starting with Trevor Bauer, who the next day, pitched a gem of his own, striking out 10 Cardinals in 7-1/3 innings, before Marc Rzcepczynski gave up a two-run HR to Matt Carpenter.

Yes, the offense is performing a little better, particularly since Terry Francona moved Jason Kipnis to the leadoff spot, but in this recent run, the Tribe is only averaging four tallies per game, scoring three runs or less in six of the 11 ballgames.

Everyone thought the starting pitching was the reason Cleveland would be a contender in 2015, and right now they are living up to those expectations.

When your starters perform like the Indians’ hurlers have over the last 10 days, you have a chance to win every single night.

And it helps that veteran Shawn Marcum gave his team a strong outing in his first start, beating the White Sox, giving up only two solo home runs in 6-2/3 innings of work last Wednesday.

Up to that point, the fifth starter spot had been a black hole for Cleveland since the first turn through the rotation.

Francona also made some changes in the bullpen too, as Nick Hagadone and Scott Atchison have taken a backseat after a few shaky outings.

Cody Allen seems to have better control and as a result is looking more and more like the pitcher we saw in 2014. He picked up his 9th save today, and has fanned 25 in 17-1/3 frames, although the 12 walks is still a scary statistic.

Zack McAllister seems to be the primary set up man, with a 1.64 ERA out of the ‘pen and 27 whiffs in 22 innings as a reliever. Rzcepczynski is the situational lefty of choice used by the skipper right now.

It was telling that the other night when Danny Salazar could only give the team six innings, that Francona went with newcomer Ryan Webb, who has allowed just five hits and three walks in 12-2/3 innings. Webb seems to be getting a more prominent role in the bullpen right now.

Bryan Shaw has been prone to giving up the longball, allowing three bombs in 13-2/3 innings to this point in the season. It appears he has lost the eighth inning spot he had in 2014.

But it starts with the starters giving Francona and Mickey Callaway six solid innings on most nights. That means the relief corps does not get overexposed and keeps them fresh.

That needs to continue.

If it does, the Indians may just be able to climb over the .500 mark and stamp themselves as the team everyone thought they would be at the beginning of the season.

It would be nice if they would hit a little better and catch the ball better too.

However, this is a team built on starting pitching and the ace of the staff seems to be back on the beam. That’s what got the Indians pointed in the right direction.

Cavs Need to Show Some Greed.

An impressive defensive performance in the second half and J.R. Smith’s hot shooting gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a huge road win last night, as they defeated the Atlanta Hawks 97-89.

The Cavs wrested home court advantage from Mike Budenholzer’s squad with Game 2 taking place Friday night in Atlanta.

David Blatt’s team needs to get greedy and not settle for the split on the road, because they can drive a stake in the collective hearts of the Hawks with a victory tomorrow night.

Remember, the Bulls didn’t have that greed in the conference semi-finals, losing in the second game in a blowout. Our guess is that LeBron James will not let his teammates get complacent.

There has been some discussion as to whether or not Kyrie Irving, who seemed to aggravate his sore knee last night should play in the second game of the series so he can get healthy.

We see that point, but if the medical staff determines that Irving cannot hurt himself more by going out there, Irving should be out there again tomorrow.

As we once read, nothing is given, everything is earned.

If Irving were to sit out, it could send a message that the coaching staff is fine with the split in the Peachtree State, instead of showing a preference to get this series over as soon as possible.

Unless something shows up in an examination between games, Irving has tendonitis in his knees, so it’s just a matter of playing with the pain. Having an extra two days off, won’t help once he starts playing again.

There were five days off between ending the Chicago series and last night’s game, and once Irving started playing, the pain and discomfort returned.

Besides, it wasn’t as though Irving wasn’t effective when he was in there. Yes, he did have problems keeping Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder out of the paint, but he also had 10 points and six assists, and hit two big hoops when LeBron James was hobbled after turning an ankle.

We aren’t saying this is going to happen, but if Cleveland wins in Game 2, they are set up very nicely for a sweep, which would end the series next Tuesday night in Cleveland.

Since The Finals are slated to begin on June 4th, that would give the Cavs more than a week to heal up the assorted injuries they currently are saddled with.

We don’t think the Cavs will take their foot off the gas one bit, and as evidence look at the end of the game, when Iman Shumpert wouldn’t even allow Teague to get a meaningless three-point shot off before time expired.

James even acknowledged this in a comment today, saying his team “is just as desperate as the Hawks are”, despite having a series lead.

This is the veteran LeBron. He understands there is no relaxing in the playoffs now, and every game has to be approached as another opportunity to squash the will of the opponent.

Was it a nice win? Yes. However, the Cavaliers haven’t won anything yet. They still need three more wins and make no mistake, the Hawks are a good team, and they will probably shoot better on Friday.

We don’t expect Smith to be that hot again tomorrow, but maybe it will be Shumpert, or maybe Matthew Dellavedova will make a shot. Or perhaps Irving plays like he did in Game 5 vs. Chicago.

James and Blatt have a foot on Atlanta’s throat. No time to let up now.

What Can Be Learned From Cavs-Hawks Regular Season Games? Not Much.

As the Cleveland Cavaliers head into the Eastern Conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks, much has been made about the Hawks winning the season series 3-1, and taking the last three of the contests between the two teams.

And as many have pointed out, only one of those matchups occurred after GM David Griffin reshaped the wine and gold by trading Dion Waiters and draft picks to obtain Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, and Timofey Mozgov.

In that game, the Cavs were in the midst of a stretch were they played 12 out of 15 games on the road, and the game on March 6th, which Cleveland lost 106-97, was the third contest in a four games in five nights stretch.

Meanwhile, Atlanta was well rested, coming off of two days with no games.

The Hawks raced out to a 36-19 lead after one quarter before the Cavs got their bearings, cutting it to a 53-43 deficit at halftime, and then closed to within two heading into the fourth quarter at 81-79.

Kyle Korver hit a couple of big threes at that point after being bottled up for most of the game to that point, and Atlanta won going away, perhaps because David Blatt’s squad ran out of gas just a bit.

What can we learn from that game? We would say it should be a heck of a series because even though the Hawks were the more rested team, the Cavs fought back and were in the game in the fourth quarter.

As for the other three matchups?

The first occurred on November 15th at Quicken Loans Arena and the wine and gold blew out the visitors from Georgia, 127-94, mostly because they hit 19 of 31 shots from beyond the three-point line, while the Hawks went 3 for 22. Atlanta was playing their third game in four nights, while Cleveland was on the second night of a back-to-back.

The second game was also in Cleveland with the opposite result, the Hawks hammered the Cavaliers, 127-98, behind 16 of 28 shooting from long distance, while the Cavs were 8 of 30. Pretty much a mirror image of the first contest.

The wine and gold’s other visit to Hotlanta occurred on December 30th, with the Hawks winning 109-101. LeBron James was just beginning his time off to recover from his various back and knee issues, but Atlanta did not have Al Horford, who is perhaps their best player.

Atlanta had two days off prior to that game and two more days off after, while the Cavs were in the middle of a three games in four nights stretch. The rest advantage goes to the Hawks.

So, can any conclusions be reached from the previous meetings? Not really, because the Cavs are a completely different team than they were in the first three meetings, and in the last game, they were in the middle of a brutal schedule.

The fact that Blatt’s team overcame a huge first quarter deficit to make it a game late despite that should bode well for this series, as will the fact that Cleveland has the best player on the floor.

Still, the home court disadvantage could be huge in this series. Atlanta didn’t win 60 games by accident, and when they are playing very well, they move the ball better than any team not named San Antonio.

No doubt it will be a huge challenge for Blatt and James. However, based on the toughness this team has shown against the Bulls, we wouldn’t bet against them.