Cavaliers Game 1

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Hawks Drop Game 2 vs. Cavs

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With 40 seconds left and the Hawks mounting an emotional comeback, LeBron James turned to drive and found a hole in the Atlanta Hawks' defense and a hole in their collective hearts. His forceful dunk gave the Cleveland Cavaliers the lock-hold on a 97-89 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Hawks, led by Jeff Teague (27 points), had pulled to within 4 points after facing both an 18-point deficit and a substantial left knee injury to DeMarre Carroll earlier in the quarter. But the combination of James (31 points, 6 assists) and J.R. Smith (28 points, 8-12 3-pt. FG) proved to be too much for the Hawks

"(Smith) is somebody that can get hot," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "He was a priority coming into the game, and I think we can do a better job and not have any breakdowns going into the next game."

Carroll is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam Tuesday, but beyond that, the injury to Carroll, which is initially being called a sprain, left open several questions headed into the rest of the series and beyond. 

"DeMarre's been our glue guy all year, been playing well in the playoffs, been our best player in the past couple of series," Teague said afterward. "Hopefully, he can get back healthy soon, but one of the guys in there has to step up."

The injury occurred on a play where Carroll plucked a cross-court pass and raced the other way on a fast break. When he got in the lane, he planted awkwardly and his knee buckled. He landed out of bounds, grimaced and immediately rolled on his back to grab at it.

The Cavaliers seized control of the game with a 22-4 run in the second half that saw Smith score 17 points and toss up a successful alley-oop pass for good measure. The Hawks were unable to contest his fallaway threes, and Smith made shots with a high degree of difficulty look routine.

Smith aside, the Hawks and Cavs mostly stumbled through the third quarter, with the Hawks trying not to get called for moving screens and Cleveland trying not to get hurt. James turned an ankle after landing on a cameraman, and guard Iman Shumpert also left the game after a collision under the rim.

The Hawks came out firing to start the game, making 7 of their first 9 shots to take a 16-9 lead. But the Cavs kept it tight by crashing the offensive glass and getting the ball to Smith, who scored 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the first half. 

Kent Bazemore, whose minutes are likely to increase if Carroll's injury keeps him out, hit a jump shot at the buzzer to end the half tied at 51. He finished the game with 10 points.

In the first quarter, James picked up an early second foul on the offensive end trying to fend off Bazemore in the low post, and he went to the bench with 3:04 left. LeBron also backed down Carroll a few times in the first half. Despite James' success scoring from the post, Carroll survived the half with zero fouls, which may have been by design given the Hawks' lack of depth on the wing.

Of course, that lack of depth now faces an even steeper challenge, as the Hawks try to regain a foothold in a series where they may be without Carroll, the formidable two-way forward who often refers to himself as the 'Junkyard Dog'.

"DeMarre is a complete player," Budenholzer said. "He has a big impact on both ends of the court."

Story by KL ChouinardTwitter: @AnaheimAmigos

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Hawks Wait For Word On Carroll Injury

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Hawks Fall Short In Game 1 of East Finals

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals is Wednesday night, so the @ATLHawks Twitter account hosted a #HawksChat with fans and several Hawks experts on Tuesday evening to preview the series.

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#HawksChat: Previewing The East Finals

The Atlanta Hawks will be hosting an "Our Story" on Snapchat during Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night.

Our Stories allow Snapchat users at the same event to post snaps to the same story.  Snapchat users attending the game will be able to add a snap to Our Story, which can be viewed by anyone worldwide.  Snapchat will approve select snaps that get submitted to Our Story, and fans not in the arena can watch and get the experience.

Anyone inside Philips Arena Wednesday night will see Our Story listed under Stories when they go to post a snap.  Make sure your phone's Location Services are turned on and your filters are enabled in the Snapchat settings.

Game 1 tips off at 8:30.  Tickets are still available here.

To learn more about Snapchat's "Our Story," click here.

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Add Your Snap To "Our Story" During Game 1 of East Finals

The Atlanta Hawks have reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in team history, and to move to the next round they'll have to knock off the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Here are KL Chouinards 8 keys to the series:

If Jeff Teague and Dennis Schröder can get to the middle of the floor, the Hawks should be able to get great shots either at the rim or from their three-point shooters. Schröder averaged 6.3 assists in just 19.1 minutes per game against Cleveland this season.

2)  Keep DeMarre Carroll out of foul trouble.

When the All-NBA Defense Teams come out in the next week or two, look for Carroll's name. He deserves a spot. Carroll will be the Hawks' best bet at slowing LeBron James. The only time the Hawks (3-1) lost to the Cavaliers this season was when he missed a game due to injury. 

3)  Minimize three-point field goal attempts.

The four teams remaining are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in three-point shots attempted per game in the playoffs. It's a valuable shot, and unlike Brooklyn or Washington, the three-point shot has been a weapon for the Cavaliers all season long.

4)  Keep Tristan Thompson off the offensive glass.

The Cavaliers lost three-point shooting, floor spacing and defensive rebounding when Kevin Love suffered a shoulder injury. However, in adding Thompson to the starting lineup, the Cavs have added an elite offensive rebounder. Atlanta has to box him out and eliminate second chances.

James is a fantastic offensive force, averaging 26.5 assists and 7.9 assists per game in the playoffs. He is also turning the ball over 4.6 times per game, right near the top of the NBA. The Hawks will need to get those turnovers to have the best chance at winning. 

Much like they did in the series against Brooklyn, the Hawks have a sizable speed advantage at the center position. Atlanta can make Timofey Mozgov uncomfortable if they up the tempo in transition. Another way to neutralize Mozgov is to attack the rim and attempt to get him in foul trouble. 

Cleveland will do everything they can to keep the ball out of Korver's hands, but the more shots he gets, the more consistent his feel with the ball will be. And just about every Korver shot is a great shot.

One of the keys to Atlanta's March 6 win over Cleveland was their dogged disruption of the passing lanes. The Hawks were eager to send two defenders at ballhanders and were still savvy enough to make the correct rotations to get back into place when the Cavs made good passes. An aggressive defensive approach will minimize field goal percentage allowed, force turnovers, and eat up time from the shot clock.