Atlanta Hawks defeated Cleveland Cavaliers in their own home court and put an end to their winning streak. Coach Mike Budenholzer showed that without Al Horford and Jeff Teague, the team is still able to run his system very well.
Atlanta Hawks 110-106 victory against the Cavaliers on Tuesday night shows that their gameplay still works well without Horford and Teague. Point guard Dennis Schroder posted a career-high 28 points according to report by USA Today.
Shooting guard Kent Bazemore made 25 points and 6 rebounds, while Paul Milsap tallied 21 points. In the low-post area, Atlanta Hawks new center Dwight Howard played a major role in defending the rim with 17 rebounds and 3 blocks.
"This is one of the biggest wins I've had since I've been here," Bazemore said.
After the game, LeBron James commented the game as a weird one. In the second half, The Hawks led a big gap twice before Cavaliers rallied to close the margin. The first lead was in the third quarter with 18 points, while in the beginning of fourth quarter Atlanta Hawks led again with 15 points.
Hawks decision to let go Horford and Teague paid off as reported by Bleacher Report. Howard that replaced Horford in the center has become the center piece of the defense.
His proficiency in rim protection provides a good assurance for the Hawks. Although he only posted seven points from five shots, but his contribution in the defensive end is enormous. His presence created hesitation for Cavaliers players to drive into the basket.
The Cavaliers big-three James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving made a good contribution in the game. James posted 23 points and 9 rebounds, Love made a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Irving tallied 29 points. But the rest of the team could not provide sufficient support.
Watch the game highlight below:
