Atlanta and Cleveland in Eastern Conference Clash

The Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers square off Friday in what may be a pivotal game for the Hawks. Cleveland has all but wrapped up the Eastern conference as they currently have a 6 game lead over the Orlando Magic with just 7 games remaining on their schedule. Atlanta is still fighting for the 3rd seed with the Boston Celtics. Regardless of if they finish 3rd or 4th, the Hawks will have home court advantage in their 1st round match-up. However, their opponent for that first round will either be a Miami Heat squad that they have lost 3 out of 4 to, or a Milwaukee team that has split the season series with them.

It truly shouldn’t seem to matter as the Hawks are playing some of their best basketball of the season right now, but facing a Heat team that feels confident against them may be a tougher challenge then the Hawks want to deal with. Dwayne Wade is one of the best players in the league, and has the capability of taking over a game all on his own.

Joe Johnson is the leader on offense averaging 21.3 points per game, but the strength to this Atlanta team comes from the distribution of shots by the starting 5. Mike Bibby, Josh Smith, Al Horford and Marvin Williams all have the ability to go for 20+ points on any given night. Jamal Crawford is without a doubt the best sixth man in the league. He averages 17.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and almost 3 assists coming off the bench. He is the reason so many teams have difficulty stopping the Hawks offensive attack.

Smith and Horford are still young, but they have become a dominant 1-2 combination in the paint. Together they combine for 30 points per game and 18.5 rebounds. They will need to be dominant Friday against LeBron and the Cavs if they expect to pull off the upset win and retain their number 3 seeding.

The Cavaliers have put together a remarkable season. They average the same amount of points per game as the Hawks, but they have been far more dominant defensively. A league leading 26-12 away record can be directly attributed to their ferocious defense. Cleveland allows the second fewest amount of points per game due to their suffocating team style of defense.

Shaquille O’Neal’s status is uncertain for the playoffs, but if he can come back at even 75% the Cavs will be unstoppable. Together, James, Varejao, Jamison and O’Neal combine for over 30 rebounds per game. Not allowing teams to get second chance opportunities is what makes the Cavs so difficult to beat. Having what many believe to be the best player in the game helps too. LeBron James is having his best season as a pro. He’s averaging almost 30 points, over 7 rebounds, 8.5 assist and 1.67 blocks per game. There is not a more complete player in the league. Questions still loom regarding whether or not King James’ will be a Cavalier next season as his contract expires after this year. All of the controversy hasn’t changed the way that this team has played. They seem to be more focused now than ever.

Tune in Friday night as the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers square off in what will be an entertaining match-up.

Related posts:

1. NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Boston vs. Orlando
2. Heat need to Finish strong against Atlanta
3. Eastern Conference Powers Collide: Chicago vs. Orlando
4. Howard needs Help in Game 5 vs. Atlanta
5. Western Conference Clash: Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

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