Atlanta Hawks vs Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs have been banged up in the post-season, and yet here they are back in the conference finals led by LeBron James. Kevin Love is out after shoulder surgery and Kyrie Irving is struggling with knee tendinitis. Regardless, they are favoured to reach the NBA Finals.
It has been a rollercoaster journey this season for Cleveland, with their initial struggles suggesting that things may not work out as Love was rumoured to be unhappy with coach David Blatt was already on the hotseat.
Instead of buckling, they have regrouped and marched on to eliminate both the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls to reach this stage. James has been instrumental unsurprisingly, averaging 26.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.9 assists which are all team highs.
However, if there is an antidote to ‘star power’, then it is the Atlanta Hawks. Mike Budenholzer has transferred them from a playoff-challenging team to the No.1 seed in the East. Their team-first basketball style has drawn comparisons with the San Antonio Spurs and more often than not, they are a joy to watch.
Whether it’s Jeff Teague, Al Horford, Paul Millsap or DeMarre Carroll, they have so many offensive options to go with their strong defense that they can hurt any team. However, this is a case of holding home court against a Cavs team that will arrive with added intensity and energy.
Expect that Hawks to drop at least one game at the Philips Arena before then being unable to return the favour with the Cavs advancing a step closer to a third championship for James.
Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers win series 4-2 vs Atlanta Hawks.
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