Atlanta Hawks: 4 Keys To Winning Game 2

May 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the second half in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 104-93. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

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May 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots as Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) defends during the first quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Continue Using Millsap and Horford on LeBron

Late in Game 1, Mike Budenholzer began to use Paul Millsap and Al Horford when defending LeBron James. The Hawks frontcourt tandem was very effective in defending the King — certainly more than the undersized Kent Bazemore.

The Hawks should continue to use their mobile and athletic bigs on James, while doing a better job of defending his supporting cast. While the Hawks did an effective job when defending James, limiting him to only one free-throw attempt in Game 1, they must be more effective when defending the three-point line.

J.R. Smith made four treys in Game 1, while Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving each had three long-range shots apiece respectively. The Cavaliers finished 15-for-31 from beyond the arc, which was a major key to their Game 1 victory.

Next: Golden State Warriors: 5 Takeaways From Game 2

If the Hawks can continue to contain LeBron, but do a better job defending the three-point line, they have a chance to steal Game 2 at The Q. If not, they will return to Philips Arena on Friday down 2-0 in the series.

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