The Cavaliers held serve in Game 1 thanks to some late game LeBron James heroics, but they blew a big lead and the Hawks didn’t make it easy. What did we see in Game 1 we should keep and eye on in Game 2? Here are three questions that will get answers this game:
1) Can Atlanta get Kyle Korver open for some shots? Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d type: J.R. Smith did a fantastic defensive job shutting down Kyle Korver. He had plenty of help, for example, they switched pick-and-rolls which sometimes meant LeBron was on him. However, the idea didn’t change — the Cavaliers made shutting down Kover a top priority. One of the best three-point shooters in the game and a master at quietly finding space, Korver had just one attempt from beyond the arc in Game 1 (a miss from the top of the key). They need his spacing to make their offense flow.
For Atlanta, if Korver is getting that much attention other Hawks to hit their threes — Atlanta took 34 but hit just 11 (32.4 percent) in Game 1. The Hawks entire offense is to score at the rim and from three, and if one of those isn’t clicking they are in trouble. The Hawks moved the ball well and got some clean looks from three, but missed them. Those need to fall to win Game 2.
2) How quickly will Hawks go to Kent Bazemore on Kevin Love, meaning Paul Millsap/Thabo Sefolosha on LeBron James? Atlanta started Game 2 with Bazemore on LeBron, and the Cavaliers quickly tried to exploit that in the post — LeBron is too big and too strong and will get the shots he wants (the Hawks don’t have a great one-on-one option to go against LeBron). Mike Budenholzer made a smart switch putting Bazemore on Love, who prefers to live on the perimeter, and let Millsap handle LeBron. Millsap is a quality defender, and LeBron doesn’t take guys off the dribble like he used to, this matchup worked for a while, expect the Hawks to go to it quickly in Game 2.
The converse of that matchup question is can the Cavaliers keep Al Horford and Paul Millsap in check again? The All-Star front line of the Atlanta Hawks was 10-of-32 shooting and were not the forces the Hawks need on that end of the floor, the Hawks need better efficiency from their starting bigs.
3) Can the combo of Dennis Schroder and Jeff Teague balance out Kyrie Irving? If there was an unexpected star of Game 1, it was Schroder, the German bench point guard of the Hawks who supplanted Jeff Teague for key minutes late in the game. Schroder — Boston fans’ favorite villain in the first round (he was booed every time he touched the ball after some run-ins with Isaiah Thomas) — had 27 points and six assists in Game 1. The problem for the Hawks is Schroder is just not that consistent, he hit 5-of-10 from three in Game 1 and it’s unlikely he’s going to replicate that effort in Game 2. Look for Budenholzer to play Teague and Schroder together for stretches in this team and see if the combo can unlock the Atlanta offense.
The Hawks need a lot from their guards because we know Irving will have a good game. Irving had 21 points and eight assists in Game 1, plus a key block on Schroder late, and it feels like he can do much better. The combination of Teague and Schroder need to keep him in check to keep the Hawks within striking distance.