The Hawks won the regular-season series with the Cavaliers, 3-1. The teams meet in the Eastern Conference finals which begin with Game 1 Wednesday in Atlanta. Here’s a recap of how the regular season went:
Cavaliers 127, Hawks 94: This one was ugly right from the start as the Cavaliers made their first 11 3-point attempts on the way to a rout Nov. 15 in Cleveland. The Hawks trailed 41-25 after one quarter and 71-43 at the half. In the first quarter, the Cavaliers shot 77.8 percent (14 of 18) from the field, including all nine 3-pointers. LeBron James led the Cavaliers with a game-high 32 points. Paul Millsap had 16 points and seven rebounds for the Hawks, who dropped to 5-4 early in the season.
Hawks 127, Cavaliers 98: The Hawks got a measure of revenge following their lopsided loss a month earlier Dec. 17 in Cleveland. After trailing by 12 points in the second quarter, the Hawks did a complete turnaround and would lead by as many as 31 points. Shelvin Mack, filling in for an injured Jeff Teague, had a career-high 24 points and was 6 of 6 from 3-point range. LeBron James did not play in the fourth quarter as the Hawks entered the period with a 20-point advantage.
Hawks 109, Cavaliers 101: The Cavaliers were without LeBron James as he took a two-week hiatus in the victory Dec. 30 in Atlanta. Jeff Teague had a double-double of 23 points and 11 assists and Paul Millsap added 26 points, nine rebounds and three blocks for the Hawks, who played without Al Horford after he experienced nausea before the game. Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with a game-high 35 points.
Hawks 106, Cavaliers 97: On the day the Hawks unveiled the statue of Dominique Wilkins outside Philips Arena, the team took care of business in impressive fashion inside on March 6. Both teams had a full complement of players, including the Cavaliers with several mid-season acquisitions. Al Horford led six Hawks in double-figure scoring with 19 points and nine rebounds. Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with a game-high 20 points. LeBron James finished with 18 points, eight assists, six rebounds and nine turnovers.
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