NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers Seek 3-0 Series Lead Over Atlanta Hawks in Game 3
Ritz Agranum | | May 06, 2016 08:49 AM EDT |
(Photo : gettyimages.com) LeBron James will lead the Cavaliers once again against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be trying to extend their postseason winning streak when they visit Atlanta Hawks for Game four of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinal series on Friday night at the Philips Arena.
The Cavs are the only unbeaten team in the ongoing playoff games, boasting a six-game winning run after sweeping Detroit Pistons in the opening round and taking the first two games of their series against the Hawks.
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After two straight dominant performances at the Quicken Loan Arena, the Cavaliers are expected to take Game 3 and secure a commanding three-to-nothing advantage against the Mike Budenholzer-headed team. The Hawks have lost ten straight playoff games to the Cavs, and with things going right for the gold and wine, many expect Cleveland to repeat a sweep of last season's conference finals.
"We need to get better in a lot of areas, probably starting with our transition defense and all the way through, and execute better offensively to take some pressure off our defense," Atlanta's head coach Budenholzer said.
The Hawks have been 39.9 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from the three-point range in the second round of the ongoing series. The team has posted an average of 19.5 assists in the last two matches they played.
Atlanta's three-point shooter Kyle Korver has been limited to a total of 10 points in his last two encounters with the Cavs. He was just able to make three stingy attempts from beyond the arc and scored three of eight overall shots from the floor. Meanwhile, starter Jeff Teague has been ineffective, making five of 19 shots for 22 points and ten assists.
However, the Hawks have a 68-56 edge in points in the shaded area in this series
James is expected to lead the top team in the East, with Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, Kevin Love and Channing Frye. Aside from the four-time MVP, Cleveland will also enjoy the offensive firepower of four other Cavs who were averaging double figures this series.
TagsNBA 2016, 2016 nba playoffs, cleveland cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Lebron James, Kyrie Irving
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