Looking ahead to Game 4: Hawks at Cavaliers
Previously on “The Hawks and the Cavs” …
Game 3 was the rarest of things — a competitive overtime playoff game that’s probably more fun to discuss than it was to watch. The Cavs’ 114-111 victory featured a prolific (if also fairly inefficient) performance from LeBron James, who started 0-of-10 from the field but finished with five points in the final minute (including the go-ahead three-pointer) while dealing with cramps and various other ailments. His 12th career postseason triple-double was well deserved, because he’s virtually the only player creating shots for the Cavs with Kyrie Irving hobbled and out for the last two days. It’s very impressive that they are on the brink of a conference finals sweep without so many key players.
But the big moment was the ejection of Hawks star Al Horford just before halftime after he elbowed Cavs guard Matthew Dellavedova. The referee’s decision was debated not just in terms of Horford’s punishment, but also for the actions of Dellavedova, who fell into Horford’s legs right before the elbow and is gaining a reputation as a top-level NBA pest. The Hawks made it clear that they expect Dellavedova, who apparently inadvertently injured Kyle Korver under similar circumstances in Game 2, should be more careful. Yet the Cavs rushed to Dellavedova’s defense and explained these moments as by-products of his work-rate.
The loss of Horford and planned-for absence of Korver meant that the Hawks trotted out some odd lineups in what was essentially a must-win game for a team that won 60 games in the regular season. Little-used reserves like third-string point guard Shelvin Mack, wing Mike Scott, and shoot-first big man Mike Muscala took the court for major minutes, with Mack even hoisting up two attempts at a game-tying three-pointer on the final possession of overtime. It was a little bizarre to see a team that dominated the conference take such desperate measures, but injuries and ineffectiveness have forced Atlanta to try whatever they can. Not much has worked so far.
Two Things to Look for in Game 4
Where will the Hawks turn?
Atlanta succeeded this season by embracing the identity of a balanced, deep team without a dominant superstar. There’s no evidence that such an approach must fail in the playoffs, but it’s safe to say that this postseason has not gone as planned for head coach Mike Budenholzer and his team. The loss of Korver and second-quarter ejection of Horford put the Hawks in a precarious position, and they responded by playing the Cavaliers relatively even the rest of the same way. However, giving minutes to Mack, Scott, and Muscala indicated just how desperate the team is right now. Although Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap were the primary offensive options in Game 3, the fact that Mack took the team’s most important shots of the season shows that Atlanta is in rough shape.
Horford will return to the lineup on Sunday and will be expected to provide a steadying force at both ends. But the Hawks are still going to have to depend on Kent Bazemore and other players who haven’t factored into the playoffs in major ways prior to the last couple games. Budenholzer appears to be trying whatever works with a fairly short leash, evidenced by backup point guard Dennis Schröder going from major crunchtime option in the previous round to a mere three-minute stint in Game 3. Outside of Teague, Horford, Millsap, and DeMarre Carroll it’s not entirely clear who we’ll see most. Expect 40-plus minutes for that quartet and a lot of hope that someone steps up to fill the loss of Korver.
LeBron’s load
It’s typical to expect a lot from LeBron James — pretty much everyone associated with the sport has done it since he first burst onto the national scene as a high-schooler. But his performance in Game 3 seemed more like a relic from the pre-Decision Cavs era than whatever was expected from the team this season. Injuries are obviously a big reason for that, and LeBron needing to do a lot for the team to win isn’t a reason to rush Kyrie Irving back. Regardless, it’s fairly remarkable to see James, a player now used to playing alongside stars and established veterans, create virtually all his team’s offense over the course of a playoff game.
It’s not clear that this imbalance of responsibilities will affect Cleveland in this series, because they’re up 3-0 and have done just fine. Nevertheless, as the series appears to reach its conclusion, it’s worth watching LeBron’s workload simply because it does not look like a reasonable plan for beating the eventual West champion and likely title favorite. As the Miami Heat proved last June, LeBron can only do so much on his own. If the Cavs are going to win their first championship, they’re going to have to find other sources of offense.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
