Eastern Semis: Game 1 Hawks @ Cavs

[ATL DirtyBird]

Until the game starts keep the positivity in here. Nothing negative. Hopefully no Heat fans decide to comment. Friendly, non biased Cavs fans are welcome!

Fresh off the game 7 victory by our Hawks. They get the 2 day break only to face the #1 seed
Cavaliers who have lost 1 game at home this season. Though some say we should be content with where we are now, I refuse to give up. I know for us to win this series we need all the luck we can get, but for some reason I think we can give em a run for their money. Joe seems to have awoken. Josh seems to be playing smarter (crossing my fingers), Al is back, and Bibby has been hot all playoffs.
The key to this series will be both rebounding, turnovers, and if we can contain Mo Williams. We all know LeBron can go off when he wants to. If he decides to facilitate Mo is the first option. Lock him down Mike.
MARVIN PLEASE COME BACK!!
Here we go everybody, Hawks Vs Cavs.
GO HAWKS!

We need a little......
Damn it feels good to be a Hawk fan.....

Fresh off the best shooting nights in a while, JJ decides to show some emotion....

Like I said, if you dont love Zaza you have no heart! Zaza "Mr Hustle" Pachulia. Andy Varejao dont got anything on Zaza....



The MVP and Co...

[johnny878]

i hope marvin and al can play.

[cavsfan_osiris]

I hope ATL is 100% healthy. If they are this will be a very tough series for the Cavs. The Cavs don't impress me on the road so I would expect ATL to win at least 1 game at home.

I'm predicting the Cavs get one win on the road and it will be game 6 to end the series.

[HMFFL]

Cavs favored to win by 11.5 points. O/U 179.5

Last 10 Meetings:

03/21/09 CLE 102 - ATL 96
03/01/09 ATL 87 - CLE 88
12/13/08 ATL 97 - CLE 92
11/22/08 CLE 110 - ATL 96
02/08/08 ATL 95 - CLE 100
01/09/08 ATL 90 - CLE 81
01/02/08 CLE 98 - ATL 94
04/14/07 CLE 110 - ATL 76
12/27/06 ATL 76 - CLE 89
12/01/06 ATL 95 - CLE 106

[shortstuff5023]

we need marvin to play. without marvin lebron is free to guard joe. delonte won't be able to match up with a guard of joe's size and skill set, but without marvin he can D mo evans instead. marvin is also the only defender we have who might occasionally stop lebron.

[JDeuce23]

Cavs fan displaced in SoCal checking in here...

What gives me confidence is the Hawks are a much better home team than they are on the road, and for you (or anyone in the playoffs) to eliminate the Cavs, you'll have to come into Cleveland and steal one, and I just don't see how Atlanta could do that. They lost by six in their most recent visit to Cleveland, but the game was nowhere near that close...the Cavs got up by 20+ early on and cruise controlled the entire second half.

The Hawks showed last year they're not about to roll over for anybody (except a Game 7 in Boston, I guess). I just think you're going to be overmatched. The Cavs have their mental lapses at times, but those rarely come in the fourth quarter. The Hawks don't really have any bench players they can rely on, and I think that's your biggest disadvantage. If Atlanta goes only seven deep, staying fresh in the fourth quarter will be a huge problem.

I think the Cavs win the first two at home relatively easily, then split the next two on the road (probably losing Game 3, because if the Hawks are down 0-2, they're going to come out with everything in their arsenal to avoid falling into the impossible 0-3 hole). Then they'll come home and finish off Atlanta in Game 5. That's about as unbiased and objective as I can get...

[johnny878]

both zaza and flip are pretty damn solid off the bench.

the hawks biggest weakness this series will be sf. With Marvin out, they are left with mo evans who picks up alot of stupid fouls. This guy could see alot of time on the bench in foul toruble going against lebron. exposing the hawks dpeth.

[kenneth9265]

both zaza and flip are pretty damn solid off the bench.

the hawks biggest weakness this series will be sf. With Marvin out, they are left with mo evans who picks up alot of stupid fouls. This guy could see alot of time on the bench in foul toruble going against lebron. exposing the hawks dpeth.

Yeah, I have to admit, with M. Wiliams out, I don't see much hope in a series win against my Cavaliers, but I also do not see a Sweep with them either...the hawks might even get two wins out of this series

[Harry10]

i don't want to see Horford take one shot, Al doesn't do well over the 7'3 center

Smith has under performed in the Hawks/Cavs meetings. if he can put up the numbers that we are use to, then the game could be closer than what most people assume

Joe needs to show up

Atlanta are horrible on the road, Hawks need to embrace the role as the villain

"Atlanta is a one man team", Smith, Horford, Flip, Bibby, Marvin, and Evans need to take a long look at this before they step out of the locker room.

[wizardg]

I don't give the Hawks a great shot at this series but they do have a shot and the shot to win I believe is centered in G1.

G1 that is the game they need to steal. If the Hawks steal G1 we will have a series.

[Harry10]

I don't give the Hawks a great shot at this series but they do have a shot and the shot to win I believe is centered in G1.

G1 that is the game they need to steal. If the Hawks steal G1 we will have a series.

i don't know about that, last year the Hawks got blown out in their first two playoff games, then did well at home and was at least able to take it to 7.

Philly stole game 1, and that didn't really help them that much.

[JoshB914]

I don't see us winning in Cleveland, but I agree with wizardg that game 1 is our best chance to do so.

The Cavs should come out of the gates slowly because they haven't played in a while, and the longer we can hang with them the more confidence we'll get. In the mean time, we can ride the momentum from our game 7 victory and maybe make a game of this one.

[Harry10]

I don't see us winning in Cleveland, but I agree with wizardg that game 1 is our best chance to do so.

The Cavs should come out of the gates slowly because they haven't played in a while, and the longer we can hang with them the more confidence we'll get. In the mean time, we can ride the momentum from our game 7 victory and maybe make a game of this one.

i remember every year people would say the same thing about the Jordan Bulls or Shaq Lakers.... and every year, they would come into game 1 in the second round crisp and with energy.

these are athlete, they are itching to be let out of the gate.

[JoshB914]

^^^ I'm hoping we aren't playing a team akin to the Jordan Bulls or Shaq/Kobe Lakers. If we are (and it is possible this team could be the beginning of a similar kind of dynasty in Cleveland), then it won't matter how we start the game tomorrow anyway.

[Tommy Udo 6]

Congratulations & good luck, Hawks!!

[evildallas]

From RealGM Wiretap:

Marvin Williams won't start for the Hawks against the Cavaliers in Game 1 on Tuesday night, but he will play significant minutes.

Williams only appeared in three of Atlanta's seven games against Miami in the first round.

"We struggled to score some (against Miami), and there was 14 points sitting on the sidelines," Hawks coach Mike Woodson told the Associated Press on Monday. "He told me today after practice that he's ready to go. We need him."

Williams suffered a sprained wrist in Atlanta's Game 2 loss to Miami, and didn't return until Game 6. Link

[HMFFL]

From RealGM Wiretap:

Marvin Williams won't start for the Hawks against the Cavaliers in Game 1 on Tuesday night, but he will play significant minutes.

Williams only appeared in three of Atlanta's seven games against Miami in the first round.

"We struggled to score some (against Miami), and there was 14 points sitting on the sidelines," Hawks coach Mike Woodson told the Associated Press on Monday. "He told me today after practice that he's ready to go. We need him."

Williams suffered a sprained wrist in Atlanta's Game 2 loss to Miami, and didn't return until Game 6. Link

I'll be surprised if he plays over ten minutes. All it's going to take is one hit on his hand and the pain will most likely come back. Just watch him after he shoots or plays any defense and see if he holds his hand like he did against Miami. Mo and the bench will need to step up even more.

[JoshB914]

I might be reading too much into this, but the article says he will "significant minutes." I think that would mean more like 25-35 minutes but we'll see.

[HMFFL]

I might be reading too much into this, but the article says he will "significant minutes." I think that would mean more like 25-35 minutes but we'll see.

We can only hope he's healthy enough to be on the court that long. If I am guarding Marvin his hand would endure some serious punishment.

[Lebron45]

Cavs Watch out for Zazas off rbs and bibbys threes