(1) Cleveland Cavaliers (2-0) at (4) Atlanta Hawks (0-2), 8 p.m.
The Atlanta Hawks have spent the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinals series playing roadkill to the 18-wheeler that is the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Things don't figure to change all that much when the scene shifts to Atlanta tonight for Game 3.
The Cavs took a commanding 2-0 series lead on Thursday when LeBron James revved into MVP form again, pouring in 27 points before resting in the fourth quarter, as Cleveland continued to roll in the postseason with a 105-85 blowout of the injury-riddled Hawks.
The top-seeded Cavaliers, who swept Detroit in the first round, have won each game in the playoffs by at least 11 points. The average margin of victory for the six contests stands at 18.
"We're just a really good team," said James. "We're not overconfident, but we believe in our game plan, we believe in each other as individuals and we believe in each other as a team. We just go out and play hard."
After winning, 99-72, in the opener on Tuesday, the Cavs surged to a 59-35 lead at the half of Game 2 with James finishing the second quarter with a show-stopping shot from near half-court.
"It was demoralizing a lot just because of where I shot the ball from," said James. "We carried that momentum into the second half."
Wally Szczerbiak added 17 points, Mo Williams 15 and Delonte West 14 for the Cavs, who led by as many as 36 before coasting to the victory. West was poked in the right eye midway through the third quarter and didn't return but was evaluated Friday morning and listed as probable for Game 3.
Meanwhile. already without forwards Al Horford and Marvin Williams due to injuries, the Hawks lost star guard Joe Johnson with a severely sprained right ankle in the third quarter.
Johnson, who is averaging 15.7 points per game in the playoffs, went up for a shot with nearly 3 1/2 minutes left in the third. While being defended by James, Johnson landed awkwardly on his ankle, went to the locker room and later was put in a wheelchair to get x-rays, which were negative.
Horford, dealing with an ankle injury, played over 25 minutes in the series opener on Tuesday, but sat out Game 2. Williams was sidelined with a sprained right wrist.
Johnson missed practice Friday and will be a game-time decision tonight. Horford and Williams were both able to practice and will also be game-time decisions.
"I just have to get our main group, hopefully back out on the floor Saturday and see what we're made of," said Hawks coach Mike Woodson. "When you're missing pieces it's tough, but again I'm not one to complain. I've got to push the guys who are in uniform and try to get them to play hard, and hopefully something will swing our way."
Cavs coach Mike Brown isn't exactly heartbroken over Woodson's injury woes.
"Mike Woodson's a nice guy. Maybe sometime we'll see each other in the summertime and we may have a bite to eat, but he has to take care of his own problems," said a smiling Brown.
Maurice Evans had 16 points to lead the Hawks on Thursday, who shot a woeful 34.9 percent from the field.
Atlanta is clinging to the hope its home court can turn things around in the series. The Cavaliers went 39-2 as the host during the regular season and are now 43-2 at the "Q" this year, including the playoffs. On the road, Brown's team has been mere mortals, compiling a 29-14 record as the visitor, including a pair of wins in Auburn Hills during the quarterfinals.
The Cavs also took the season series with Atlanta, winning three out of four games with the lone loss coming at Philips Arena, a 97-92 setback in December.
The two teams have never met in the playoffs before.
Game 4 of the best-of-seven series will be in Atlanta on Monday.
The Atlanta Hawks have spent the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinals series playing roadkill to the 18-wheeler that is the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Things don't figure to change all that much when the scene shifts to Atlanta tonight for Game 3.
The Cavs took a commanding 2-0 series lead on Thursday when LeBron James revved into MVP form again, pouring in 27 points before resting in the fourth quarter, as Cleveland continued to roll in the postseason with a 105-85 blowout of the injury-riddled Hawks.
The top-seeded Cavaliers, who swept Detroit in the first round, have won each game in the playoffs by at least 11 points. The average margin of victory for the six contests stands at 18.
"We're just a really good team," said James. "We're not overconfident, but we believe in our game plan, we believe in each other as individuals and we believe in each other as a team. We just go out and play hard."
After winning, 99-72, in the opener on Tuesday, the Cavs surged to a 59-35 lead at the half of Game 2 with James finishing the second quarter with a show-stopping shot from near half-court.
"It was demoralizing a lot just because of where I shot the ball from," said James. "We carried that momentum into the second half."
Wally Szczerbiak added 17 points, Mo Williams 15 and Delonte West 14 for the Cavs, who led by as many as 36 before coasting to the victory. West was poked in the right eye midway through the third quarter and didn't return but was evaluated Friday morning and listed as probable for Game 3.
Meanwhile. already without forwards Al Horford and Marvin Williams due to injuries, the Hawks lost star guard Joe Johnson with a severely sprained right ankle in the third quarter.
Johnson, who is averaging 15.7 points per game in the playoffs, went up for a shot with nearly 3 1/2 minutes left in the third. While being defended by James, Johnson landed awkwardly on his ankle, went to the locker room and later was put in a wheelchair to get x-rays, which were negative.
Horford, dealing with an ankle injury, played over 25 minutes in the series opener on Tuesday, but sat out Game 2. Williams was sidelined with a sprained right wrist.
Johnson missed practice Friday and will be a game-time decision tonight. Horford and Williams were both able to practice and will also be game-time decisions.
"I just have to get our main group, hopefully back out on the floor Saturday and see what we're made of," said Hawks coach Mike Woodson. "When you're missing pieces it's tough, but again I'm not one to complain. I've got to push the guys who are in uniform and try to get them to play hard, and hopefully something will swing our way."
Cavs coach Mike Brown isn't exactly heartbroken over Woodson's injury woes.
"Mike Woodson's a nice guy. Maybe sometime we'll see each other in the summertime and we may have a bite to eat, but he has to take care of his own problems," said a smiling Brown.
Maurice Evans had 16 points to lead the Hawks on Thursday, who shot a woeful 34.9 percent from the field.
Atlanta is clinging to the hope its home court can turn things around in the series. The Cavaliers went 39-2 as the host during the regular season and are now 43-2 at the "Q" this year, including the playoffs. On the road, Brown's team has been mere mortals, compiling a 29-14 record as the visitor, including a pair of wins in Auburn Hills during the quarterfinals.
The Cavs also took the season series with Atlanta, winning three out of four games with the lone loss coming at Philips Arena, a 97-92 setback in December.
The two teams have never met in the playoffs before.
Game 4 of the best-of-seven series will be in Atlanta on Monday.
