A brief recap of the Hawks’ loss:
How the game was won: Jeff Teague scored 17 of his 27 points in the first half, when Atlanta shot 57.9 percent on the way to a 51-all tie, but the Hawks struggled to hit shots in the second half and a furious late rally from an 18-point deficit fell short.
The Hawks could not slow LeBron James, who scored 31, nor reserve guard J.R. Smith, who torched a variety of Atlanta defenders for 17 of his career playoff-high 28 points in the second half. Atlanta made just 4-of-17 shots in the third quarter, and was unable to overcome a 49-37 rebounding deficit.
Al Horford added 16 points and six rebounds for the Hawks, who pulled within 91-87 when Kent Bazemore — subbing after DeMarre Carroll was helped from the court minutes earlier with a left leg injury — scored on a layup with 57 seconds left in the game. They drew no closer.
Turning point: The Cavs last trailed, 56-54, after Paul Millsap made a pair of free throws with 9:42 left in the third quarter before closing the quarter on a 20-11 run in which Smith made two of his eight 3-pointers.
Number: 16.3. The Hawks grabbed just seven offensive rebounds, or 16.3 percent of their 43 missed shots. They shot 12-of-39 (30.8 percent) in the second half, and grabbed five offensive rebounds.
Next: The Hawks will play host to the Cavs on Friday night in Game 2.
About the Author
