NBA Playoffs on Sling TV: Eastern Conference Finals
Kyrie Irving is gimpy and Kevin Love is gone.
Still, the Cleveland Cavaliers have emerged as favorites versus the higher-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals, which begin tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
This despite the Hawks’ amazing 19-game winning streak in the regular season, and despite being the only team in the regular season to beat the Cavs three times.
However, two of those wins came before the trade that landed J.R. Smith, Timofey Mozgov, and Iman Shumpert in Cleveland. After that trade, the Cavs went 34-10.
Also: LeBron.
Doesn’t it always seem to come down to that? Here’s a headline to that point:
LeBron James can’t be stopped, so the Hawks should focus on the other Cavs
That might be selling the Hawks’ DeMarre Carroll a little short. He’s the man charged with guarding LeBron. He’s also the man nicknamed The Junkyard Dog:
“During the regular season, Carroll had success against James, even though it was just a modicum of the play on the court for both teams in their respective campaigns. With Carroll on the court against LeBron in 54 minutes, James shot just 41.7 percent from the field and the Cavs had a net rating of minus-10.2. He shot eight shots with DeMarre as the closest defender and made just one of them.
“With Carroll on the bench, the Cavs were a plus-4.7 points per 100 possessions and LeBron’s field goal percentage rose to 64 percent. It’s just a few moments of regular season basketball, but it’s something Carroll can draw on as situations to replicate during the Eastern Conference finals.
“DeMarre all year has taken the challenge of guarding the opponent’s best wing and best perimeter player,” said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, who was named NBA Coach of the Year. “He has a high belief in his ability to guard. He knows that his teammates are there to help him and participate with him. He just loves the challenges. He’s a great competitor.”
What does James think about it? What you might expect: “I relish the challenge,” he said.
Here’s the upcoming TV schedule:
Wednesday, May 20
Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks, 8:30pm ET (TNT)
Game 1
Thursday, May 21
Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors, 9pm ET (ESPN)
Game 2
Friday, May 22
Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks, 8:30pm ET (TNT)
Game 2
Saturday, May 23
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets, 9pm ET (ESPN)
Game 3
Sunday, May 24
Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers, 8:30pm ET (TNT)
Game 3
Monday, May 25
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets, 9pm ET (ESPN)
Game 4
Tuesday, May 26
Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers, 8:30pm ET (TNT)
Game 4