May 24, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) drives on Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) in overtime in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Good
- Entering the third quarter and down two starters, the Hawks could have easily waved the white flag and conceded defeat to Cleveland who had a hungry James and a raucous crowd behind them. But as Mike Conti remarked afterwards, this will go down as a “legacy” game for the Hawks. They proved it to themselves, and the rest of the watching world, that they simply would not fall on the sword when the chips were down, even clawing back down ten to put them in a position to win.
- It was a performance that defined the character of the team. It will propel them into the next game, the next season and beyond. If you are someone who takes moral victories as measuring sticks, than last night’s performance is something to be proud of.
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