Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Matchup to Watch
The Atlanta Hawks pulled a major upset over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a depleted roster on Friday night. Which matchup could decide this game?
What a night Friday night was for the Atlanta Hawks.
They rode into Cleveland to take on the defending champs with several players taking the night off. And they stunned the Cavs on their home floor. The Hawks’ reserves dominated Lebron James and company en route to a 14-point win.
And heading into their matchup in Atlanta on Sunday, a star of Friday’s game will need to step up for Atlanta.
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The shooting guard matchup between Tim Hardaway Jr. and J.R. Smith will be critical in this game.
Hardaway was excellent in Friday night’s game. He led the Hawks with 22 points and put on a very entertaining scoring performance. But that was not the only time he went off on the Cavaliers this season. He dropped 36 points on Cleveland in early March in a close loss to the champs.
For as talented a roster as Cleveland has, it is not one that has a dynamic, lockdown defender for a quick guard like Hardaway.
But Smith, himself, has shown an ability to put up a lot of points. Especially against the Hawks. Smith notably dropped 28 points and made eight three-pointers in Game 1 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals against the Hawks. He has been a key factor in the Cavaliers’ ability to really hurt the Hawks from the perimeter in recent years.
In Friday night’s game, though, Smith was a non-factor. He scored just three points in 33 minutes and was 1-for-6 from the field. He was thoroughly outplayed by Hardaway and the Cavs shot just 25.0 percent from three-point range.
It is clear that Smith’s ability to knock down perimeter shots is key to the Cavs’ ability to really hurt the Hawks from the outside. Cleveland’s offense will be too overwhelming if Smith is hot.
As for Hardaway, the Hawks have to have a good performance from him to beat good teams. He gives the team an explosive, go-to wing scorer that can complete the offense. His ability to both shoot and attack the basket make him dangerous for anyone.
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This is certainly not the most flashy matchup in this game. But it is one that is critically important. If Smith is able to make eight three-pointers, the Hawks are in serious trouble. And if Hardaway is unable to get his offense going, the Hawks are doomed. This battle could decide if the Hawks can pull another upset.