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Key: Long-Distance Runaround
The four remaining teams in the postseason are the four best three-point shooting teams in the league.
The Hawks were the top long-distance shooting team in the East during the regular season, but the Cavs have held them completely in-check through the first two games of the East Finals. Through the first two games, the Hawks are shooting a combined 10-for-49 from beyond the arc. And without Kyle Korver, who suffered an unfortunate playoff-ending injury on Friday night, Atlanta might struggle to improve on those numbers.
The Cavaliers, by contrast, have continued to stroke the three-ball against Atlanta. J.R. Smith was historically good on Friday night, setting a franchise mark with eight treys and finishing with 28 points off the bench. On Friday, Iman Shumpert and James Jones combined to go 7-for-11 from deep and the Cavs shot 40 percent from long-distance.
It’s not like the Cavaliers aren’t attacking the rim against Atlanta – they doubled Atlanta’s free throw attempts in Game 2 – it’s just that they’ve been pretty strong from all over the floor.
Key: Big Man's Camp
After getting his first career postseason start in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semis, Tristan Thompson has been the best big man on the floor in nearly every contest since.
He had his double-double string snapped at three games on Friday night, but still managed to lead both teams with 16 rebounds (two less than Atlanta’s starters combined) – including five off the offensive glass (just two shy of Atlanta’s entire team). Timofey Mozgov has been solid in the middle, notching double-digits in each game.
The Cavs come into tonight’s game leading all playoff teams with 7.0 blocks per game, and in the East Finals, they’ve outrebounded the Hawks, 96-76. Cleveland is 10-0 in the postseason when they out-rebound their opponents. Al Horford was very good in Game 1, but didn’t attempt a shot until the seven-minute mark of the second quarter in Game 2, then tweaked his left knee in the second half. Paul Millsap is 5-for-19 from the floor in the series.
Through two games, the Cavs bigs have dominated Atlanta. Let’s see if they can keep it rolling on Sunday night in Cleveland.
Key: One's Bitten
The injury bug bit the Cavaliers earlier in the playoffs, when Kevin Love’s separated shoulder in Game 4 of the Celtic series, and it struck again in the Second Round, with Kyrie Irving suffering a series of nagging leg and foot injuries.
Against Atlanta, he’s been battling left knee tendinitis that severely limited him in Game 1 and kept him out of Game 2 entirely. He’s currently listed as questionable for Sunday night’s huge contest at The Q. He was shooting (with no contact) after shootaround on Sunday morning at Cleveland Clinic Courts, but the official word is still questionable.
For the Hawks, the news is decidedly worse, as Kyle Korver has been ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs with a sprained right ankle, suffered when Delly rolled up on him chasing a loose ball on Friday night. DeMarre Carroll returned from a strained knee and gutted through 34 minutes, but the Hawks leading scorer was clearly limited. Al Horford tweaked his knee in the third quarter, but returned a few minutes later.
Playoff injuries are an unfortunate fact of life and the series is starting to boil down to a war of attrition. A healthy Kyrie makes a rolling Wine and Gold squad that much tougher.
Key: Q Rating
The Cavaliers have played just one home game since May 6 and they come home leading the Eastern Conference Finals, 2-0, on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. So basically, it should be insane on the corner of Huron and Carnegie on Sunday night.
The Cavaliers have won 24 of their last 26 contests at The Q, including an 18-game run. The Cavaliers haven’t lost a game when topping the century mark at home (26-0) and they’re 20-0 when shooting better than 40 percent from long-distance. Cleveland has been excellent on the road throughout the postseason, standing at 6-1 – with the only loss being Derrick Rose’s Game 3 buzzer-beater. The only home game they dropped was Game 1 of that same series – with Tristan Thompson net yet in the starting lineup and J.R. Smith still suspended.
During their 24-2 late-season run, the Wine and Gold beat opponents by an average of almost 12 points per, holding those foes to 41 percent shooting. The Hawks and Cavaliers traded early season blowouts at The Q – but those contests are light years ago in NBA time.
The Q will be electric on Sunday night; the Cavs job is to stick with David Blatt’s modicum: Play the game, not the occasion.
Key: X-Men III
Yes, zero points for originality – but facts are facts. We know what LeBron James is going to do. The Cavaliers bigs have been rock solid through the entire postseason. Shump and J.R. Smith have solidified the squad since mid-January and have been fantastic on both ends in the postseason. The question becomes: Which role player is going to have the big night to support the starters?
The pro’s pro – James Jones – came off the bench cold-blooded on Friday night – drilling three threes in the second quarter, including a big bomb to give Cleveland a seven-point edge just before intermission. Smith cooled down after his 28-point outburst on Wednesday, finishing with nine points – but he’s obviously a constant threat. Even Shawn Marion got a few minutes of action, and remember: in the playoffs, each possession is critical. Marion doesn’t have to channel circa 2005 Matrix, but – as for any of Cleveland’s role players – a key steal, bucket or blocked shot can make a massive difference.