Roasted Hawk - Cavs v. Hawks Postgame Quick Hits
Posted November 22nd, 2008 by Michael Curry
The CavsHQ Postgame Quick Hits from the Cavaliers victory over the Atlanta Hawks:
Taking Flight:
1. For most of the game, the Cavaliers played as well tonight as they have all year. They had excellent ball movement (20 assists on 41 field goals), they limited the turnovers (9), and they kept the short-handed and short-rested Hawks on their heels throughout the night. If the Cavs bring this kind of effectiveness to every game this week, things are going to look very rosy for the rest of November.
(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
2. The Cavs found a way to keep Joe Johnson off the scoreboard (4 points on 1-for-8 shooting), which is one of the reasons the team got off to such a strong start (28-12 in the first quarter). Johnson could not find any room to operate, and seemed too willing to give up the ball when facing Delonte West. Mike Bibby also struggled, scoring just 10 points in 23 minutes of action.
Part of poor performances of Johnson and Bibby was due to the fact that their second-half minutes were going to their more successful understudies. Acie Law gathered 20 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds, while Maurice Evans dropped 21 points and was 4-for-5 from 3-point range. Still, if you can hold an opponents’ starting backcourt to 14 points, you’re going to win a lot of those games.
3. On the flip side, the Cavalier perimeter players were very good tonight. Mo Williams was effective inside and out, scoring 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting to go with 4 assists and 5 rebounds, while not giving up a single turnover. Delonte West continued his excellent shooting, going 7-for-12 for 19 points and 5 assists of his own. Wally Szczebiak had 8 first-half points and grabbed 6 rebounds. And LeBron James, on a mediocre night, still dropped 24 points while dishing off 8 assists and 7 rebounds. When the Cavaliers have that many contributors, winning comes much easier.
Skidding to a Stop:
1. The Cavaliers were flirting with a 30 point lead in the third quarter. Then they got lazy on defense, reserves like J.J. Hickson and Daniel Gibson came into the game and played terribly, and before long the Hawks were back within 11 with four minutes left in the game. When the Cavs were locked in tonight, they played as well as they have at any point this season. But when they started taking the Hawks for granted, Atlanta showed that same determination that allowed them to give the Celtics a run for their money last season. Say what you will about this Hawks team, they are as resilient as any other club in the league.
2. Speaking of Daniel Gibson, he continued his recent struggles, scoring 2 garbage time points in 18 minutes while picking up 3 fouls. With West and Wally Szczerbiak playing well at the moment, the Cavs have survived without Gibson’s shooting skills. But it would be nice if Gibson could find his role in the offense, because the Cavs still need all the weapons they can get against good teams.
3. Apparently the officiating crew was as exhausted as the Hawks. Joe Tait called it “pick and choose” officiating tonight, and that’s as good a name as anything. The calls were bad both ways, with LeBron taking the brunt of several bad calls. But when Zydrunas Ilgauskas was fouled with a slap to the face, Joe’s analysis was “When you’re 7′3″ and you get hit in the face, everyone between here and Elyria can see it.” Truer worlds have never been spoken.
More Joe Tait, on all the LeBron-to-New York “stuff:” “I grew up on a farm, so I know what that stuff is, I know what it smells like, and I know what to do with it.”
Three Questions:
1. How much better are the Cavaliers today than they were at this time last year? The Cavs won their 10th game of the season tonight, pushing their record out to 10-3. Last season the Cavaliers didn’t win their 10th game until December 11th, when their record was a miserable 10-12 thanks to LeBron’s finger injury. Things are much better for the Cavaliers and their fans so far this season.
2. How good are the Hawks? The Hawks left Cleveland with a record of 8-5, and if the playoffs started today they would be the fifth seed in the East. Atlanta has already won in Orlando and New Orleans, and they were a Paul Pierce miracle shot from beating the Celtics in Boston. On the flip side, the team has not played well since Josh Smith went down with an injury, losing two games to mediocre New Jersey Nets and falling to Indiana on the road.
The Hawks have a nice nucleus of Johnson, Bibby, Smith and second-year player Al Horford, and above all they have shown exceptional resilience in the face of adversity, which was also display tonight. Bibby’s contract also expires at the end of the season, meaning that Atlanta has some flexibility to adjust the roster at the trading deadline if the right deal comes along. The Hawks aren’t ready to contend in the East, but they are getting there, and they could definitely surprise a team like Detroit, Orlando, Boston or even Cleveland in the first round if they get hot at the right time.
(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
3. I do watch basketball, right? I was asking myself this question at halftime tonight. I had gone out of my way to talk up the matchup between LeBron James and Joe Johnson, and then the two of them headed into the half with less than 10 points combined. LeBron at least filled his part of the bargain in the second half, with 19 points after the break.
Go Cavs. Great way to start a very busy week of basketball.
