SUMMARY
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LOS ANGELES, USA – LeBron James scored 25 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Atlanta Hawks 104-93 to take a 1-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series on Monday, May 2 (Tuesday, May 3 in Manila).
James also contributed 9 assists and 7 rebounds as last year’s NBA Finals runners-up got off to a smooth start in the best-of-7 series at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena.
Kyrie Irving added 21 points with 8 assists and one rebound as the well-rested Cavaliers dominated against a weary Atlanta.
The Cavs had benefited from more than a week off after wrapping up a 4-0 sweep of the Detroit Pistons in the first round.
A satisfied James said suggested Cleveland had benefited from eight days off against an Atlanta side who were taken to 6 games by the Boston Celtics in the previous round.
“Give a lot of credit to the Atlanta Hawks, they brought it today,” James said.
“Obviously, you could tell they went through a longer series than us.
“Eight days is a long time but we tried to do whatever we could to stay in rhythm, to stay in shape. A win is a win in post-season.
“We’re going to get better as the season goes on but it’s a great start to the series.”
James meanwhile was pleased with his own contribution to the victory – but insisted Cleveland’s win was a team effort.
“I had to make some plays for this team,” James said. “They look at me as the leader of this team every single night.
“But this was a 15-man win right here – we needed everybody, even the guys who weren’t in uniform.”
Germany’s Dennis Schroder was the top scorer for Atlanta, pouring on a game-high 27 points with 6 assists and 3 rebounds.
Paul Millsap added 17 points while Kent Bazemore finished with 16 points for the beaten visitors.
Game two in the series takes place in Cleveland on Wednesday. – Rappler.com
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