Cleveland Cavaliers Playing On A Golden State-Type Level?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are on fire from 3-point range, and one Atlana Hawks player said Cleveland is playing on a Golden State-type level in the NBA Playoffs.

The entire season, Cavs fans have been watching anxiously as the team does everything it can to be at its best in a possible Finals rematch against the Golden State Warriors.

And the way the team is knocking down 3-pointers has the Atlanta Hawks thinking the the Cavs are playing at the Warriors level.

“It’s up there on a Golden State-type level,” Hawks forward Kris Humphries said.

“If they’re shooting it like that,” Al Horford said, “they’re going to be unstoppable.”

Even LeBron James weighed in on the Cavs current run of epic 3-point success, as Cleveland’s made an astonishing 46 3-point shots in its last two games.

“We’re a team that’s destined for greatness, I really believe that,” James said regarding his team being the only undefeated team reaming in the NBA Playoffs, and beating the Hawks by an average of 16.3 points per game.

-Don’t be fooled by all the talk surrounding the Cavs as a new 3-point shooting team. They’re getting attention because they’re making 3’s at a historic clip. However, in truth, the 3-point shot has always been a part of this team’s game.

More from Factory of Sadness

• Bet $1 on ANYTHING to Unlock $200 Guaranteed with Crazy Bet365 Ohio Promo!
• 3 reasons why the Cleveland Cavaliers have a good shot to win the East next year
• It might be too soon to say it but it looks like the Cleveland Guardians are back
• Are the Cleveland Browns a Top 10 roster heading into the 2023 season?
• Eastern Conference Solidarity: Back the Heat with $5 Bet, Win $200 Bonus INSTANTLY with DraftKings Promo

During the regular season, the Cavs were third in the NBA, with, on average, 29.6 3-pointers being shot per game. Cleveland was tied for second with 10.7 makes.

-By comparison, Golden State led the league in attempts 31.6, and makes 13.1, respectively.

-What the Cavs are doing in the playoffs, though, is just all kinds of crazy. The team leads playoff squads with an average of 36.1 3-point shot attempts, while team is making 16.9 3’s per game. Golden State level? Not even the Warriors were doing this.

-Al Horford was candid when he said the Atlanta Hawks “didn’t prepare” for the fourth quarter onslaught led by Cavaliers stretch shooters Kevin Love and Channing Frye.

And why would coach Mike Budenholzer have his team thinking these two players would be on the floor together. Entering Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semis, Frye and Love had been on the court together a grand total of 38 minutes.

But with the Cavs trailing 91-85 in the fourth, coach Ty Lue made the switch. He rested Lebron James, which left Kyrie Irving as the focal point of the Cavs offense.

With Frye and Love stretching the floor, Irving and James–when he re-entered– were free to drive the basketball into the lane.

The result: Love and Frye helped the Cavs outscore the Hawks by 21 points while on the floor together in the fourth quarter. LeBron eventually came back in and the Cavs outscored Atlanta 36-17 in the fourth quarter. This margin was the most lopsided scoring in a Hawks playoff game since 1987.

I’m not sure how much we’ll see it moving forward. Putting Frye and Love on the floor makes the Cavs very weak defensively.

-The Hawks didn’t listen to Charles Barkely, and didn’t try to take anyone out–although nobody in Cleveland liked seeing Jeff Teague shove LeBron into the stands late in the game.

-The decision to use Love and Frye together meant  Tristan Thompson  was off the floor. Thompson was big against last night, hauling in 13 rebounds–9 on the offensive side.

-There’s a time for going with defensive lineups, and a time for offense. Game 3’s fourth quarter demanded offense, and give Lue credit for recognizing it.

Next: Watch: RG3 Tricks High School Football Team

-There’s a time for going with defensive lineups, and a time for offense. Game 3’s fourth quarter demanded offense, and give Lue credit for recognizing it.