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| J.R. Smith and the Cavs lit it up from three-point range against the Hawks. |
The Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Atlanta Hawks out of the playoffs for the second year in a row. In doing so, Cleveland did something that no team in NBA history has done.
As impressive as that is, it doesn’t even tell the full story.
The Cavaliers made a total of 77 threes during the series with Atlanta. That tied them for the second most ever made in a playoff series. The other teams they are tied with did so in a seven-game series. Not only did Cleveland need only four games, but they didn’t get the benefit of a single overtime.
Also impressive was their percentage, as the Cavs were not just chucking threes. As a team, the Cavaliers made just a shade under 51 percent of their shots from distance.
That will get it done.
The Hawks have nothing to hang their heads about. It’s never fun to have your season end, especially in a sweep. Still, there’s not much that can be done about a team getting incredibly hot from three-point distance, doing something that’s never been done before.
Cleveland is now 8-0 in the playoffs, having swept both the Hawks and the Detroit Pistons. Additionally, the Cavaliers look like a very difficult team to beat as they head into their Eastern Conference Finals showdown against either the Toronto Raptors or Miami Heat.
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