The Cleveland Cavaliers can close out the Atlanta Hawks on the road tonight, May 11, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. The Cavs have won their last seven playoff games by double-digit points. NBA oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have the Cavaliers as -10 point road favs over the Hawks with the over/under set at 183 points. Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks Pick in now at Sportsbook.com
The Cavs LeBron James had one of his best performances in Game 3 with 47pts, 12 rebounds and eight assists. "Right now, he's playing at such a high level," said Hawks coach Mike Woodson, "Man, it's crazy how good he's playing. It really is." James hit 15 of 25 shots, including 5 of 10 from 3-point range. He drew one foul after another, going 12 of 16 at the free-throw line. He led all rebounders with 12, leading the Cavaliers to a mammoth 46-23 edge on the boards. On those rare occasions when he couldn't create a shot of his own, he dished out eight assists. He also had a steal, as well as a blocked shot. Their other top scorers on the night were Zydrunas Ilgauskas with 14pts, 8 rebounds, while Delonte West added 12pts. The Cavs have won their last seven playoff games by double-digit points.
The Hawks should be booking their tee times after tonight. They just can’t stop LeBron. "Our guys did the best they could to guard him," Atlanta's Flip Murray said. "But when you're hitting shots like that, it's hard for anyone to guard." The Hawks tried to guard James with two or three players, but it really didn't matter. Once he pulled up at the top of the key, a good five feet shy of the 3-point line, and hoisted a shot before Atlanta even had time to react. A couple of times, he dribbled past all five players on the home team, weaving this way and that as though he were a catch-me-if-you-can point guard. The Hawks went on a 13-0 run that gave them their first second-half lead of the series, but the Cavs just turned to their star to bail them out. The Hawks allowed the Cavs to bounce back going 2-10 to close out the third with a 65-72 deficit. Then usually LeBron sits the start of the fourth, but he didn’t want to and he went on a 13pt run before leaving the Game behind chants of MVP!
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Cavaliers are 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Atlanta.
- Home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
- Favorite is 19-8 ATS in the last 27 meetings.
- Hawks are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 playoff games as an underdog.
- Hawks are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 vs. NBA Central.
- Hawks are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Hawks are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog.
2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks
When: Mon, May 11, 2009 7:00 PM ET
Line: Sportsbook.com
Pick: Cavs -10
Point-Spreads.com 2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks
The Bottom Line: King James will put on a clinic tonight to show his next competitors we mean business. Go Cavs! Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks Pick in now at Sportsbook.com and receive a 10% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit
