ANOTHER SWEEP - CAVS DOWN HAWKS

 

(Image taken from NBA.com)

 

Given that the Hawks managed to dispose of a theoretically stronger Heat side, you'd have thought that they'd have given the Cavs something to think about in their NBA Eastern Conference semi final series. Apparantly not. Game 1 in Cleveland was enough of a demonstration of Cavs superiority. Game 2 proved to be more of the same. For Game 3 the scene switched to Atlanta where surely the Hawks would put the brakes on LeBron and crew. Well they made a good effort but ultimately it wasn't enough. So the teams remained in Atlanta for Game 4, with the Hawks on the brink of getting swept. Surely they could find another gear to force the series back to Cleveland.

Not if the Cavs had anything to do with it. They opened the scoring in the game and in the opening few minutes it looked as though the Hawks had no response. With 7:58 on the score was 12-6 Cavs. However the Hawks replied by holding them scoreless for over a minute and used that window to cut the gap. As the quarter went on they forced the Cavs into more drought and moved into striking range before taking the lead for the first time with just over three and a half minutes left in the quarter. The Cavs were eventually held scoreless for the last four minutes of the quarter. Hawks led 22-15 at the buzzer, Josh Smith leading the way on 10 points.

Well that initial 22-15 scoreline was as good as it got for the Hawks in the second quarter. The Cavs gradually bit into that lead over the first few minutes. With just over eight minutes left in the half they drew lefev and took the lead with seven and a half minutes left. The two sides duelled for the lead mid quarter, at one point it looked as though Cavs had the upper hand before the Hawks came back into the picture, leading again but not securely. The game continued to seesaw untill there was just one minute left in the half and then the Cavs took the edge, going on to lead 40-38 at half time. LeBron led the way on 12 points but the Hawks didn't look done yet.

And yet the Hawks were held scoreless for the first early stages of the third quarter, not that the Cavs were able to land that many buckets themselves. The Hawks drought lasted for nearly five minutes, by which point the Cavs lead had hit double digits and the home side looked badly sliced. The Hawks went on a run of their own in the latter stages of the quarter though, holding the Cavs scoreless for over two minutes and getting back in striking distance. The Cavs responded by again the Hawks too the gap back down to two with just over minutes left in the quarter, only for the Cavs to pull away again and lead 62-57 at the buzzer, LeBron leading the way on 21 points, Delonte West backing him up on 12.

The Hawks didn't look like lying down in the 4th quarter though and cut the gap to two points with just over ten minutes left in the game. The Cavs then held the Hawks in a serious drought and didn't even score themselves for two minutes. The Hawks drought lasted for four and a half minutes. They made an effort to take another bite out of the Cavs lead but it was starting to look as though these would be the last few minutes of their season. Sure enough, the Cavs proved the stronger team down the stretch. They won the game 84-74, LeBron leading on 27 points, West backing him up on 21, Zydrunas Illgauskas providing further backup with 14 points. The Cavs won the series 4-0.

Elsewhere, the Celtics beat the Magic 95-94 in Orlando, handing homecourt advantage in the series back to the defending champions and turning it into a three gamer at 2-2. Out West, the Rockets beat the Lakers 99-87 in Houston, turning that series into a three gamer at 2-2. The Mavs beat the Nuggets 119-117 in Dallas. The Mavs may have bailed themselves out at the last minute but with the Nuggets till leading the series 3-1, it's likely to only be a stay of execution with that series heading back to Denver. Either way, one team's reached the Conference Finals and for the rest, well six into three don't go. The Cavs will certainly get themselves more rest while this is sorted out.

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