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Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Takeaways From Game 4 vs. Hawks

By James D. Tillman III

May 8, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) calls for a jump ball after tying up Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (not shown) at the end of game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Cavaliers won 100-99. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
May 8, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) calls for a jump ball after tying up Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (not shown) at the end of game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Cavaliers won 100-99. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 4, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; The Cleveland Cavaliers bench, including guard Iman Shumpert (4), guard J.R. Smith (5), and center Tristan Thompson (13) celebrate Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams’ (52) three-pointer during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. The three-pointer was the 25th of the game for the Cavs. The Cavs won 123-98. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
May 4, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; The Cleveland Cavaliers bench, including guard Iman Shumpert (4), guard J.R. Smith (5), and center Tristan Thompson (13) celebrate Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams’ (52) three-pointer during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. The three-pointer was the 25th of the game for the Cavs. The Cavs won 123-98. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Cavaliers Starting To Resemble Warriors

We’ve discussed how depth has played a role in the Cavaliers sweeping through the first two rounds of the playoffs. But they have recently unveiled another weapon in their arsenal: the long ball.

In the second game of this series, the Cavaliers set a franchise record with 25 three-pointers. They followed that up with 21 more in Game 3. With the Hawks stubbornness and/or willingness to leave Cleveland’s shooters open, that trend continued in Game 4.

Although the Cavaliers hit just 16 3s in the series finale, they converted 43 percent of their attempts. Along with that, the Cavaliers became the first team in history to make at least 15 three-pointers in four straight games. This includes both regular season and playoff games.

As if that stat isn’t impressive enough, Game 4 marked the third straight outing in which a Cavaliers player connected on at least seven shots from distance. For the series, the Cavaliers converted 77 of their 152 attempts from beyond the arc, which ties them with the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns for the second-most makes in a playoff series.

Whether or not the Cavaliers long-range shooting is sustainable remains to be seen. But if they are able to continue shooting at an efficient rate from deep, their next series will more than likely be a short one as well.

Next: Kyle Korver A Non-Factor

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