Game 2 Grades: Atlanta Hawks Fall Hard at Home Again

May 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots against Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) during the first half in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Bad

• Unfortunately, Carroll’s defensive adversary just so happened to be a player named LeBron. Once he entered the court James smelled blood knowing Carroll wasn’t at full strength. He took it to the Hawks. He scored 30 points, collected 9 rebounds, and facilitated 11 assists on 10-22 shooting. He had his way all night. When he wasn’t kicking it out to open teammates as the defense presented merciful help, he commanded long stretches of isolation sets that usually led to tough layups or trips to the line. Be mindful that all this was done with an ailing Kyrie Irving sidelined.

• The Hawks find themselves in a sticky predicament down 0-2. Teams that take 2-0 series leads in the playoffs go on to win 85% of the time and road teams with a 2-0 lead during the Conference Finals have never lost. If the Hawks are looking to buck the trend, they’ll have to overcome a couple of more injuries. Kyle Korver left and did not return due to a rolled ankle after he collided with Matthew Dellavedova for a loose ball. Al Horford got a little banged up with his knee.

Next: The Starters