Cleveland’s LeBron James scored 30 points as the Cavaliers won 94-82 at Atlanta on Friday even without injured star Kyrie Irving, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
The Cavaliers pulled away with a dominant third quarter. James scored 11 points, the Hawks shot just 32 percent (7 of 22), and Cleveland led by as many as 20.
This was a blowout in every sense. The final margin, with backup players on the court, was as close as Hawks had been since midway through the third.
Photo: EPA
“You really can’t make me do what I don’t want to do,” James said. “I play the right way.”
Irving was scratched before the game because of an ailing left knee. Even so, the Cavaliers cruised to their second straight win in Atlanta to take a 2-0 advantage back with them to Cleveland, where they host the next two games starting today.
James assumed many of the ball-handling duties, taking advantage of Atlanta’s DeMarre Carroll being at less than 100 percent.
Carroll started after being carried off the court just two nights earlier, but he hardly looked like the “Junkyard Dog.” He was not the only who struggled as the Hawks were totally outclassed.
“In the playoffs, it takes more,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. “It takes better execution, better screening. You’ve got to do things harder.”
The Cavaliers, who have never won a championship, made a big investment in the off-season to lure back James to play alongside Irving and Kevin Love.
However, James is carrying a load with Irving sidelined and Love out with a season-ending injury.
James did have some help in Game 2. Tristan Thompson was a beast on the inside, grabbing 16 rebounds to spark Cleveland to a 47-39 advantage.
When Thompson dunked off a pass from James with a little less than five minutes remaining, the Cavaliers led 93-74 and many Atlanta fans began heading for the exits, surely sensing they had seen their team for the last time in this most unexpected season. Atlanta won a franchise-record 60 games to claim the top seed in the East, but the Hawks have been picked apart by the best player in the world.
The Hawks had hoped that Carroll’s appearance would provide an emotional boost. An injury that looked much more serious turned out to be only a sprain, and he drew a big cheer from the crowd when he did his customary sprint across the court during the opening introductions.
However, at less than full speed, Carroll had little chance trying to guard James, who made 10 of 22 shots, including a pair of three-pointers. When the Hawks began collapsing toward the lane, trying to give Carroll help, James always seemed to find the open man — often lurking behind the three-point stripe.
James registered 11 assists and just missed a triple-double, also grabbing nine rebounds.
The Cavaliers finished 12 of 30 beyond the arc. Iman Shumpert knocked down four from long range and finished with 16 points.
Dennis Schroder led the Hawks with just 13 points. Carroll played a team-high 33 minutes, 47 seconds, but managed only six points — 10 below his playoff average.
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