Short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers still top Atlanta Hawks

LeBron James scored 27 points, Kevin Love added 22 points and 15 rebounds and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 115-100. Following the turnover, James stalked to the bench and sat down.

“I blew a gasket, ” James said.

The most recent example of James doing whatever he wants happened on a night that shouldn’t have had anything too problematic about it. The Cavaliers were cruising to victory against the Atlanta Hawks (eventually winning 109-97) and at the point of his substitution incident, were leading by 26 points.

“Well, he was frustrated”.

If the swelling and pain is gone by game time Thursday it is very reasonable to think he could play but it is still no guarantee especially when you consider that he is also working his way back from major knee surgery. “It’s not something you turn off and on, and I just think they recognize the importance of that”.

I have no idea what James was thinking there; the only thing that makes remote sense is that he thought Atlanta wouldn’t be able to inbound the ball as quickly as they did.

The Cavs are a conference-best 10-3, remain unbeaten at home and had little trouble with one of the best teams in the league despite playing without three starters and four of their top eight players overall. Two guys who will help the Cavs stay on point are James and Blatt, because they appear to have buried whatever awkwardness that previously existed between them. “We’ll get Jabari back in the lineup and we’ll get Juice (Mayo) on the floor tonight”.

“He threw me out and that’s his prerogative”, Budenholzer said. Matthew Dellavedova handed out a career-high 13 assists while starting in place of Williams on Thursday and added 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting on Saturday as Cleveland won the Eastern Conference finals rematch. Before we get to covering that game, let’s take a look at a few takeaways from the heartbreaking loss to the Cavaliers Friday night. But you have to play the games, and the Bucks will use everything they have in this one to overcome Cleveland and launch themselves into the national spotlight.

Atlanta has played the last three games without Teague, who averages 17.1 points and 6.5 assists and is out with a sprained left ankle.

The Cavaliers have been off to a strong start and the team has done it without some key players, including Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert.

With LeBron James and Antetokounmpo likely guarding each other the majority of the game, don’t be shocked when Parker, the former No. 2 overall pick in the draft, lights it up for his best game yet since returning from the ACL injury.