Recap: Cavs 114, Hawks 111 OT (or There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South)

The Atlanta Hawks franchise proved that the New South still has the same sensibilities as the Old South with their duo of race scandals during the preseason. Many, including myself, assumed that the distractions off the court would affect the performance of the team, and they proved all doubters wrong, posting a franchise record 60-22 season. An overlooked stat of the Hawks was that they had the lowest point differential in league history for a 60-win team. They fielded four all-stars, but no superstars in a sport dominated by them and come late Tuesday night, their 2014-15 season will probably be swept away like red clay dust from the back porch and they’ll be Gone with the Wind.

Rhett Butler: With enough courage, you can do without a reputation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBySQufMAZg

I doubt that many basketball fans outside of the WCC or Northeastern Ohio could have picked Matthew Dellavedova out of a police lineup before the playoffs. He could probably still walk through many US cities and not be noticed. He won’t have that luxury much longer. In place of injured star Kyrie Irving, Delly put up 17 points, including four Delly treys in 45 minutes. He was far from perfect as he turned the ball over four times, and shot just 5-15 overall from the field. He never stopped hustling though and made Jeff Teague work all night and held him to 9-23 from the field. None of that will matter tomorrow on the afternoon content filler argument show block.

I’m obviously biased as a Cavs fan, but here’s how I saw the scrum in the second quarter that got Al Horford ejected. It appears that Delly was boxing out, tripped over DeMarre Carroll (perhaps with Al Horford pulling him) then Horford lost his own balance and on the way down, and tried to intentionally elbow Delly. Reggie Miller went on for at least ten minutes insinuating that Delly was intentionally trying to roll into Horford’s legs to injure him, like Matt did to Kyle Korver. I love Delly. I love that he looks like he forgot to do his hair and shave before every frickin’ game. I love that he hustles like he’s still trying to make the team every frickin’ game. I love that there are shirts with a caricature of him that say “Delly Trey” with him holding a sandwich instead of an actual deli tray (assorted meats and cheeses on a tray yo). If you think Delly has the body control to stop on a dime or contort himself midair to go for a guys knees, you believe in him more than I do. He wasn’t coordinated enough to know that he was standing out of bounds on the Cavs final possession of the half. There’s no chance he could pull that kind of stuff off. He’s grit and hustle, not a nimble ninja. Personally, I like Horford. He’s one of my favorite non-Cavs in the league. He’s even gone out of his way to say nice things about Cleveland, unlike his sister.

Cleveland fans are great! Very impressed with the way they support their team.

— Al Horford (@Al_Horford) December 29, 2012

Thanks Al. As rough as it was to be a Cavs fan from 2010-2014, the Cavs still drew more fans than the Hawks all four seasons. Atlanta never gets the credit it deserves for being a ditch kid sports city.

Scarlett: I can shoot straight, if I don’t have to shoot too far.

LeBron’s jumper needs an exorcism. It’s reverted back to the broken shot he flashed early in his career, maybe worse. The problem is compounded by his slight loss in athleticism. He can no longer beat anyone in the league off the dribble and dunk over whoever is left from the opposition. If his jumper was still a threat, teams wouldn’t be able to go so far under the screens to block his penetration. LeBron is 16.1% from downtown this postseason, the lowest of his career by a mile. But James came through when it mattered most tonight, as he drilled a heartbreaker from the corner to give the Cavs a one point lead with just 36 seconds remaining in overtime. Hopefully, he can find his stroke during the eight days the Cavs will have off if/when the Cavs convert the sweep Tuesday night.

Cathleen Calvert: My dear, don’t you know? That’s Rhett Butler. He’s from Charleston. He has the most terrible reputation.

The Cavs wouldn’t have won tonight without J.R. Smith. He posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards and his three point daggers came at points in the game where it could have gone either way. For as bad as his rep was coming in, he’s been a key cog to this team during the playoffs. If the Cavs have a chance at beating Golden State, they are going to need Smith to go off a couple times.

Scarlett: I can’t let Tara go. I won’t let it go while there’s breath left in my body.

David Blatt: "LeBron cramped up and he knew that we could not win the game without him … He just would not let us lose. Amazing."

— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) May 25, 2015

LeBron James had a historic night. He started the game 0-10 from the field (a career worst). After the horrific start, James went on to post 37 points on 37 shots (most career playoff attempts), 18 boards and 13 assists in 47 minters. He gave everything that he had to get the win. Through the struggles he never checked out or got flustered. There was no chill to his mode. He was a vocal leader on the court, and his effort permeated the rest of the roster. There’s a tax to having LeBron. You have to deal with the incessant media flea circus that attempts to irritate team chemistry just to manufacture a new story. You have to wade through the deep waters of his own ego. You have to accept that at some point, he probably will hold the team hostage to get what he wants, on his terms. Nights like tonight, it’s all worth it. I particularly enjoyed the candor he shared on the podium with Delly after the game. Often LeBron’s responses to questions seem premeditated as if he had rehearsed his lines to himself on the drive to the game. Tonight, he was natural. He defended his teammates, and even employed some self-deprecating humor at his struggles from downtown.

Rhett Butler: Take a good look my dear. It’s a historic moment you can tell your grandchildren about – how you watched the Old South fall one night.

The Hawks never gave up and they easily could have folded after Horford was ejected. They didn’t. They got stellar contributions from the leftovers. I just can’t see this series going back to Atlanta whether Horford receives a suspension for Tuesday’s game or not. Even if they delay their exit with a win, this series is over. The Golden State Warriors are the clean up hitter of the league and the Cavs have well over 100 pitches on their playoff arm. The Warriors will be universally picked to beat the Cavs in the NBA Finals. I respect their deep roster and schematics, but beating them isn’t impossible. Impossible doesn’t exist in a world where the Cavs fail perfectly and win the lottery with a 1.7% chance, LeBron returns home and the Cavs morph from being an offensive juggernaut a month ago to the most ferocious defense in the playoffs two series later. We’ll have plenty of time to speculate and debate about the Warriors matchup, but until then, lets enjoy tonight.

Scarlett: I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow.