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Cavaliers roll over Hawks 101-85
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-06 11:19
Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 20 of his 28 points after halftime and the
Cleveland Cavaliers shut down Atlanta early in the fourth quarter for a 101-85
win over the Hawks on Wednesday night.
LeBron James of the
Cleveland Cavaliers, wearing his fitted mask to protect a face injury,
dunks the ball during the first quarter of game against the Atlanta Hawks
at Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, January 5, 2005. Hawks player Tony Delk
looks on. [Reuters] | LeBron James added 20
points, nine assists and six rebounds in his second game wearing a protective
mask over a broken left cheek for the Cavs, who clamped down on the Hawks,
blanking them 12-0 in the first 8:16 of the final quarter.
Atlanta missed its first 12 shots — and both free-throw attempts — in the
fourth before Tyronn Lue dropped a 15-foot jumper to bring the Hawks to 90-79.
By then it was too late, and James ended any thoughts of a comeback by
draining a 3-pointer 34 seconds later. Jeff McInnis added another 3 and James
dropped another long-range shot to put the Cavs up 101-83 with 54.3 seconds
left.
Atlanta was outscored 23-8 in the last 12 minutes, matching a club record for
fewest points in the fourth done three times, most recently on March 4, 2004,
against Minnesota.
Antoine Walker scored 26 points and Al Harrington added 16 for Atlanta
(5-25), which has lost five straight. The Hawks were just 3-of-18 from the floor
in the fourth.
Ilgauskas scored 14 points in the third quarter when the Cavs tried to pull
away. But Walker kept Atlanta close, making a pair of 3-pointers and scoring 10
points in the period as the Hawks went into the fourth down 78-77.
But Ilgauskas and James scored two baskets apiece, McInnis hit a jumper after
Ilgauskas ran the ball down in the corner and Lucious Harris made two free
throws as the Cavs opened a 90-77 lead before the Hawks finally scored.
Cleveland contested every shot, and Ilgauskas and James both had blocks
during the Cavs' decisive burst.
The Cavaliers were flat in the first half, perhaps thinking they could coast
to a third straight win this season over the Hawks. But after trailing by seven
points, Atlanta rallied behind rookie Josh Smith, who scored the final nine
points before halftime to put the Hawks ahead 49-48.
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 | | | LeBron helps Cavs crush Hawks 101-85 | | |  | | | Tennis star: Anastasia Myskina | | |  | | | Tennis star: Maria Sharapova | | |
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