Hawks handle Cavs in key East battle
Here’s the Cleveland Plain Dealer reporting on the Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks, who appear to be the two best teams in the Eastern conference — especially if key Chicago Bulls keep suffering injuries:
The Atlanta Hawks treated the Cavaliers as if it were postseason time in Friday’s 106-97 home win. They showed their hand defensively, tormenting the visitors with a heavy dose of blitzes and traps in their pick-and-roll coverages.
If there was a time when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were able to elude the defense and turn the corner, there were a flock of Hawks waiting near the painted area to deter them from finishing around the rim.
It led to contested shots and difficult cross-court passes. Either way, the percentages of securing a defensive stop were in the Hawks’ favor. James was limited to 13 field-goal attempts and he only converted on five. He coughed up the ball a game-high nine times.
Irving was better but not great, coming away with 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting while committing five turnovers. Atlanta’s scheme was evident: Get the ball out of hands of the playmakers and make the others beat them.
