(The Sports Xchange) – Kevin Love scored 27 points, including tying his career-high with eight 3-pointers, as the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a four-game playoffs sweep of the Hawks with a 100-99 win Sunday at Atlanta’s Philips Arena.
The Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight season and await the winner of the Toronto-Miami series. It is the second successive season Atlanta has been swept out of the playoffs by James and the Cavs.
Kyrie Irving scored 21 points and had eight assists, and LeBron James added 21 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and made a big defensive stand on the Hawks’ final possession.
With Cleveland leading 100-99 with 10 seconds to play, James tied up Atlanta point guard Dennis Schroder on a drive inside the paint and won the ensuing jump ball to help the Cavs hang on.
Cleveland was sizzling hot from the 3-point line throughout the series. The Cavs hit 16 3s yesterday – 10 in the first half – and made 62 in the final three games of the series.
Schroder paced a balanced Atlanta offense that had five players finish in double figures. He hit back-to-back layups late in the fourth quarter, the second putting the Hawks ahead 97-96 with 1:31 to play, but he couldn’t get past James on his last shot.
Schroder finished with 21 points, and Paul Millsap added 19 for Atlanta.
Cleveland can look forward to some rest.
In the other Eastern Conference semi-final, Toronto leads Miami 2-1 in what has been a tight, physical series that has seen both teams suffer injuries to key players.
Schroder finished with 21 points, and Paul Millsap added 19 for Atlanta.
