Kasler: Cavs clip Hawks as Kyrie struggles

The Cavaliers held on in overtime for a nail-biting 110-108 win over the Hawks on Friday night.

After squandering leads of 21 in the first half and then 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Cavs needed five late free throws from Kyrie Irving to eke out the victory. It was an otherwise poor night for Irving, as he was just 5-of-23 from the field. More on that and the gargantuan effort from LeBron James below:

1. I’ve been a staunch defender of Irving’s need to shoot often and score for the Cavs to maximize their success. Thought it might seem counter intuitive, Friday was evidence of that -- if he has even a modestly efficient night shooting the ball, this game isn’t close.

2. Still, for the first time, I admit I found myself questioning Irving’s shot selection. He notched seven assists and six rebounds -- and also made a bunch of clutch free throws in OT -- so it’s not as though he was wholly ineffective. But, man, all those shots ... when the game is tightening up, there has to be a point where even the best offensive player cannot afford the luxury of shooting himself out of a slump.

3. There’s no questioning Irving’s belief in his ability to create and score. He proved that Friday night, confidently knocking down a huge 3-point shot from the corner in overtime. But even I have to concede this was a game where Irving should have tightened up his shot selection and looked to impact the game in other ways like, say, on defense.

4. Pointing out that Irving isn’t a defensive standout does not exactly constitute a fresh take. But I thought his effort in the second half was rather disappointing. There was a crucial possession in overtime where a stop could have gone a long way to sealing up a Cavs win. Instead, Irving was a turnstile for Jeff Teague, who ambled right past him into the lane for a bucket. Even the most steadfast supporter of Irving couldn’t look past that poor effort at such a key juncture of the game.

5. Enough about Irving. He’s got to be better than this in the playoffs. And if he’s off, and the game is tight, he needs to take a more intellectual approach. Find ways to lift the team that don’t involve a headstrong quest to recover a lost shooting stroke.

6. James was a monster. Playing 44 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back (that’s not ideal), he posted 29 points, nine assists, and a game-high 16 rebounds.

7. It’s not fair to compare Irving to James. And the sense I’ve gotten over the past two years is that Irving isn’t all that interested in James being his mentor or a father figure. Kyrie was raised by his dad, and he isn’t shy to remind folks that he's got zero interest in anyone else assuming that role in his life. And who could blame him?

8. Still, Irving would be wise to examine James’ box score Friday. Look at the rebounding total. No one would expect Irving to get 16 boards, but the point is LeBron found ways beyond just scoring the ball to tip the scales in the Cavs favor.

9. At one point in the second quarter, the Hawks suffered a 0-16 shooting slump. While the Cavs certainly capitalized on that poor effort, they only ended the first half up 14. For the night, the Cavs shot just under 40 percent from the field, and only 31.6 percent (12-of-38) from deep. It would seem sportsman-like to credit the Hawks defense for these low shooting numbers, but I thought most of the Cavs offensive woes were attributable to oodles of missed open looks. And to a lesser extent, some of their woes could be assigned to the hero ball antics of Irving (and, to be fair, James as well, at times).

10. Kevin Love was in foul trouble early, but he deserved more than 11 shot attempts. He ended with 15 points, but I’m convinced that when the Cavs experience periods of offensive ineptitude, they should look to Love on the block to reorient themselves. Make or miss, dumping the ball down to him gives everyone a chance to collect their minds when things are seemingly unraveling.

11. Iman Shumpert was OK, but he needs to calm down. When the ball finds him -- and especially when he puts it on the floor -- I cringe. It’s an involuntary reflex. I think.

12. A final note on the Hawks, and I'm sure this one won't sit well with a lot of folks. Do Paul Millsap, Al Horford and Teague really scare you? Admittedly, I noted this question when the Cavs were in the midst of building a commanding 21 point first half lead. But I still think it's a viable question even after Saturday night's tight game. Millsap, Horford, Teague are nice players, maybe even great players. But I don't know, they just don't seem like a trio -- and the Hawks don't seem like a team -- that the Cavs really need to fear in a seven game series.