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SPORTS A21
Tuesday 26 May 2015
NBA Roundup
LeBron’s triple-double helps Cavs top Hawks in thriller
cracks at the rim. Matthew Dellavedova and
The Cavs were again miss- J.R. Smith added 17 points
ing All-Star guard Kyrie Ir- each for Cleveland.
ving, sidelined for his sec- The Hawks took a one-
ond straight game with an point lead into third quarter
injured left knee. when James decided to
But Cleveland has James, seize control of the game.
and even on a night when He recorded 15 points, six
his shot wasn’t falling, he rebounds and six assists in
carried the Cavs, who can the period, but it only re-
earn their first trip to the Fi- sulted in Cleveland having
nals since James took them a 10-point lead early in the
there in 2007. fourth.q
Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James (23) drives between Atlanta Hawks’ Paul Millsap and Kent
Bazemore (24) during the second half in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA
basketball playoffs Sunday, May 24, 2015, in Cleveland. Associated Press
TOM WITHERS make it 114-111. 53 minutes.
AP Sports Writer “He just wouldn’t let us Down 10 in the fourth, the
CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron lose,” coach David Blatt Hawks showed champion-
James shook off an atro- said. ship toughness and nearly
cious shooting start and Atlanta had two chances pulled off a win that would
withstood Atlanta’s gritty to tie it in the final seconds, have guaranteed them
comeback to record a but Shelvin Mack missed another home game on
triple-double as the Cleve- two 3-pointers. Thursday. They’ll have to
land Cavaliers moved with- When the final horn sound- dig deep again, and they
in one win of the NBA Finals ed, an exhausted James, are facing long odds to
by beating the Hawks 114- who was favoring his right win the series as no NBA
111 in overtime on Sunday leg for most of overtime, team has ever overcome
to take a 3-0 series lead. dropped to the floor and a 3-0 deficit.
James missed his first 10 had to be helped to his Teague dropped a nasty,
shots, but finished with 37 feet. step-back jumper with
points, 18 rebounds and 13 “I worked extremely hard 55 seconds left to put the
assists. The Cavs needed and for me as a leader no Hawks up 111-109, but
every single one of them matter how I’m feeling I’ve James answered — follow-
to hold off the top-seeded got to try to make some ing an offensive rebound
Hawks, who fought Cleve- plays,” James said. by Tristan Thompson — to
land until the final seconds He’ll have just one day to knock down a corner 3 like
despite being without in- rest up before the Cavs try the one he made at the
jured shooter Kyle Korver to earn their second Finals buzzer to beat Chicago in
and losing Al Horford, who trip — and the fifth in a row the second round, making
was ejected in the first half. for James — in Game 4 on it 112-111 with 36.4 seconds
James hit a 3-pointer with Tuesday night. left.
36.4 seconds left to put Jeff Teague scored 30 James then hit his runner
the Cavs ahead by one, points and Paul Millsap over Millsap and the Cavs
and the superstar dropped 22 for the Hawks, who and 20,000 fans held their
a runner with 12.8 left to scratched and clawed for breath as Mack took two
