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Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Keys To Beating The Hawks

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 11, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) grabs a rebound ahead of Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 11, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) grabs a rebound ahead of Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Heading into a second round matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, here are five keys to winning the series for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Apr 11, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) grabs a rebound ahead of Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

After their quick dismantling of the Detroit Pistons in the first round, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been sitting around waiting for their second round opponent to step forward. The four-game sweep provided the Cavs with ample rest time in between, and now their semifinal matchup has been revealed.

With a 4-2 first round win over the Boston Celtics, the Atlanta Hawks will advance to meet the top-seeded Cavaliers in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals. Though the Hawks were not a 60-win team this year, they may be better suited this time around for a head-to-head matchup with a Cleveland team that swept them in 2015.

Then again, the Cavs posted a perfect 3-0 record against Atlanta during the regular season, winning by an average margin of 9.7 points. With home-court advantage and Cleveland’s Big Three fully healthy, the Hawks have their work cut out for them to make this a lengthy series.

However, the Hawks are also an excellent defensive team that plays terrific team basketball and has two of the league’s most underrated players in Paul Millsap and Al Horford. The Cavs shouldn’t take this team likely by any stretch.

Bearing all this in mind, here’s a look at five keys to the series for the Cleveland Cavaliers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Next: No. 5

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