NBA Rumors: Hawks Having a Hard Time Solving Cavalier's Plan

By Jenn Loro - 09 May '16 12:11PM

The Atlanta Hawks are standing on the precipice after losing badly to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sweeping 3-0 lead.

Free-falling deeper into the series, the Hawks are still trying to figure out how to bounce back. If the Cavs win the 4th game, it will be over. After succumbing to LeBron James-led team 121-108 last Friday, hope is fast fading for the Atlanta franchise after leaving their home Philips Arena in very low spirits.

How can the team turn the tide to their side? It seems like whether it's played at home or away, the losing results seem pretty much consistent in the past week.

"If you make a small mistake they can make you pay," said Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer as quoted by Daily Mail. "If somebody is open they find him. Right now that guy is shooting it at a high percentage."

So, is there any chance for Atlanta to halt the Cavs' seemingly unstoppable advance?

As per the Inquistr, no team in the history of NBA playoffs has ever made it alive after being buried 3-0. Being down 2-0 is already a bad omen so it makes a lot sense to win the 3rd game to boost the team's morale that appeared dissipated in the past two games. The Cavs already made an NBA record of posting the highest number of three-pointers in a single game either in the regular or playoff season.

Despite the Cavaliers' overwhelming firepower over the Hawks and their recent 3-0 lead in the semi-finals, James is not taking any chances. Complacency is simply not in his vocabulary. Even as the team looks pretty much in position to seal Atlanta's fate in the forthcoming Game 4, the former MVP is not taking any chances. In his mind, James was playing a mental game while anticipating his opponents' next move on the hardcourt.

"I've been kind of playing in my mind after Game 2 what they would try to do," James said as quoted by ESPN. "To be honest ... I am not going to say it that may give them something good to go with. [But] I thought they would make a lineup change."

The stark reality is that it's far too late for the Hawks to even think about challenging James-led Cavs continuing onslaught. As many pundits observe, Cavs is poised to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.