Hawks get big test ... and do not pass

This games was supposed to be a big test for the Hawks. The fully-loaded, completely healthy Cavaliers were coming in town to take on the suddenly high-flying

This games was supposed to be a big test for the Hawks. The fully-loaded, completely healthy Cavaliers were coming in town to take on the suddenly high-flying Hawks.

With the playoffs right around the corner, teams are finally settling on their premier rotations, focusing in and playing at a high level.

This was a chance for the Hawks to make a statement and score a huge home win against the East’s best team and current No. 1 overall seed. It was also a chance for the Hawks to gain a little confidence playing against a potential second-round playoff foe.

The Hawks entered the game coming off a loss against the East’s #2 seed Raptors. However, they were also entering the game as winners of 12 of their last 15. They were playing as well as they had been all season long.

It seems as though the Hawks still have work to do, because they failed this test against the Cavaliers.

Some quick takes:

1. The Hawks simply do not match-up well with the Hawks. It can be said that many teams do not match-up particularly well with the star-power and 3-point shooting of the Cavaliers. However, the Hawks especially have trouble dealing with these two aspects of the Cavaliers.

2. The Hawks got thoroughly outplayed in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals by a Cavaliers team missing Kevin Love and most of Kyrie Irving. In two matchups this year, the results have not proven to be any different.

3. The Hawks dropped the first game of the season series in Cleveland, losing 109-97. In that game, the Cavaliers (missing Irving) were led by LeBron James (19 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists) and Love (25 points and 11 rebounds).

4. In the second match-up of the series, it did not seem like anything would be changing. The Cavaliers came out in the first half playing like everyone thought they would when the Big 3 got together last summer.

5. After one half, the Cavaliers were up 55-41. It felt much more lopsided than that however. The Cavaliers were getting whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it. The Hawks were simply rolling over and seemed outclassed.

6. Credit the Hawks though, they came out much more sharp in the second half. In what felt like a classic “laugher” game for the first 24 minutes, the Hawks made it far more competitive for the final two quarters of regulation.

7. Behind balanced team play on both the offensive end and defensive end, the Hawks were able to fight their way back and tie the game up going into overtime.

8. The Hawks would go on to lose by two after an Al Horford three clanked off the back of the rim as time expired. While the result was not ideal, the second half comeback should give the Hawks a little bit of confidence heading into the postseason.

9. The Hawks were led by strong performances from Paul Millsap (29 points and 12 rebounds) as well as Jeff Teague (28 points and nine assists). Teague especially dominated his matchup against Irving (20 points, seven assists, 22 percent shooting).

10. While Millsap and Teague played very well, neither were the best player for the Hawks during the game. That distinction would go to small forward Kent Bazemore.

11. Bazemore’s final stat line (seven points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists) might not jump off the page. But he was the hardest-working player out on the court. Bazemore was all over the place throughout the game. He made James work for every single point he scored. Bazemore also did a tremendous job in pick and roll defense when he switched onto the Cavaliers guards.

12. The Hawks really need to figure out an answer for Tristan Thompson. The bouncy, energetic Cavaliers big man once again torched the Hawks interior to the tune of 14 total rebounds (including five offensive rebounds). Thompson has killed the Hawks in recent years with his ability to extend plays on the boards.

13. While Irving did have a down game, it did not feel as though most of this was due to the Hawks’ defense. That should be a concern moving forward. Irving hurt his ankle during the game which seemed to affect him a bit. But he got a number of good looks that he usually converts. That should concern the Hawks. If Irving converted just six or seven of his misses, then this game would have been far more one-sided.

14. The Hawks have one more game against the Cavaliers left on the schedule. The game will be played in Cleveland on April 11. It is the Hawks’ second to last game of the season. It will probably prove to be a meaningless game since the Cavaliers will be resting their stars at that point.

15. If the Hawks are going to make a deep postseason run this year, they are going to need to clean up a few things. Offensively, they need to get the bench going and play Horford/Millsap in the post more often.

16. The bench has been inconsistent all season and is limiting the lineups the Hawks can use throughout the course of games/series. Dennis Schroder is the best option off the bench. But he can be incredibly up and down offensively. Outside of him, the bench is full of role players like Kris Humphries, Mike Scott and Thabo Sefolosha. Establishing a consistent rotation and not asking too much of these players will go a long way during the postseason.

17. Additionally, Horford and Millsap need to get in the post more. Both of these players are very efficient, go-to interior players. Having guys who can get you easy buckets down low in the playoffs is huge. It allows you to slow down the pace, set up your defense and instill some confidence on the offensive end.

18. Defensively, the Hawks just need to worry about two things. The first is simply finishing out the possession, which can be done by securing a rebound and keeping guys like Thompson off the offensive board. The second thing would be to nail down proper defensive rotations. The Hawks often leave their defense in bad positions (giving up open looks, fouling late in possessions) because they do not rotate properly. Shoring this up will go a long way in terms of keeping games close in the postseason.

19. The Hawks have five games left in the regular season. They are locked in an extremely tight race for seeds 3-6 in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Stay tuned Hawks fan, it should be a wild ride.