Considering the loss of Kyrie Irving for the evening (if not more) with tendinitis in his knee,the Cavaliers were the underdogs in Atlanta against the Hawks.
LeBron James had other ideas as the King scored 30 points and added 11 assists to go with 9 rebounds and the result was a easier than the score looks 94-82 win.
Iman Shumpert was the second high scorer with 16 for the Cavaliers,who now lead the series 2-0 with game three Sunday night in Cleveland.
Swashbucklings
1) LeBron James showed why he is such a versatile player once again as he was the key ballhandler in the absence of Kyrie Irving.
James and the "point forward" position kept the ball moving and as a result was able to perform well without Irving...
2) Iman Shumpert was the supporting cast member that stood out on this night.
Shumpert,who is more known for his defensive prowess,hit four three pointers and was the outside threat that Cleveland needed in this game.
3) 16 rebounds for Tristan Thompson,who has been the bully in the first two games.
Thompson has been the one player that Atlanta has been unable to do anything with and it's the play of Thompson that has been most vital in cleaning up>
4) The Cavaliers have been forced to become more of a drive to the basket and throw it back to the open shooter.
LeBron James brings that respect to the table,but the capability of Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson to hit from close range has enabled the Hawks to double down inside and leave the open man.
For two games the Cavaliers have been capable enough to take advantage..
5) The win now makes me think of this possibility,if (and it's a big if) Cleveland can take this in the next two games without Kyrie Irving,the gimpy knee could have a total of 15 days of rest.
That would go a long way in getting Irving back for the winner of the Golden State-Houston series in the West....
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