Cleveland shows it is not a one-man show in final game of its latest sweep
ATLANTA – Like Michael Jordan, he knows there are times that call for dominating. Like Magic Johnson, he knows there are times that call for sharing.
LeBron James went with his Magic impression in the deciding game of another playoff sweep.
While failing to match his offensive explosion in Game 3, the league’s MVP scored 27 points and got his teammates involved as the Cleveland Cavaliers finished off the Atlanta Hawks 84-74 Monday night to win the second-round series in four straight.
Delonte West and Mo Williams showed Cleveland isn’t a one-man squad, hitting shots down the stretch as the Cavaliers extended their NBA-record streak of double-digit playoff wins to eight. Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao pounded the boards, leading the Cavaliers to the rebounding edge.
“I’ve got trust in every last one of our guys,” James said.
Cleveland will face either Boston or Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals.
No matter the opponent, the Cavaliers will be a lot more rested. The Celtics-Magic series is tied at 2 and will last at least through Thursday, while the top seed heads back to Ohio to relax.
“We’re glad to finish this series off,” said Wally Szcerbiak, who chipped in with six points off the bench. “Now it’s time to go get our rest and get ready for the next series. We have some bumps and bruises to heal from in this series.”
So do the Hawks, but they’ve got all summer. Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Marvin Williams were all hobbled by injuries.
“It’s hard to judge this team because we really weren’t healthy in this series,” said Atlanta coach Mike Woodson.
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TUESDAY’S NBA
Orlando at Boston, 5 p.m., TNT
Houston at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m., TNT