Atlanta Hawks: Top 5 Games in 2014-15
By Jay Desai
3. Hawks vs. Cavaliers — Tues., Dec. 30
LeBron James will make his return to Philips Arena this year on December 30th, this time as a Cavalier once again.
His return to Atlanta will be a special moment for him, as for the 7th time in 12 seasons, the King will be playing on his birthday.
LeBron James actually played the Atlanta Hawks once on his birthday before in 2009. That win against the Hawks was LeBron’s first win on his birthday and his fourth ever NBA birthday game at that time.
The win against the Atlanta Hawks ended up catapulting LeBron to a birthday streak, as King James has won another two games in a row after the Hawks, bringing his streak to three games.
What To Watch For
LeBron will be trying to make it four in a row on his birthday while the Atlanta Hawks will be looking to prove themselves against one of the East’s elite teams.
King James has averaged 24.7 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, and 10 assists per game in his three birthday wins.
A big game should be expected from LeBron especially since his last two birthday wins are his best performances with the MVP forward averaging 30 points per game in those contests.
This game provides another good test for the Atlanta Hawks. This mid-season match-up could prove indicative of how both teams season’s could go.
The Cavaliers still have to develop team chemistry and if they struggle to work together initially, the Atlanta Hawks could be in line to steal this one.