We've seen what the #BasedGodsCurse can do to teams this season, with Kevin Durant and James Harden falling victim. The Atlanta Hawks asked to be spared but lost Kyle Korver for the season nonetheless, despite no apparent curse having been placed upon them.
Now down 2-0 to the Cleveland Cavaliers with the series back in Ohio, the Hawks are hoping that The BazedGod can come through and turn things around.
Kent Bazemore will start on the wing in Korver's stead, one of the only sensible choices that existed for head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Bazemore is a solid but unspectacular player, an inconsistent outside shooter, and a game but undersized defender if he's tasked with helping guard LeBron James. DeMarre Carroll will maintain that assignment for as many minutes as he and his balky knee can handle, while Bazemore and Paul Millsap will be asked to help out for stretches, too.
There's no good solution for the problem James presents, or the Hawks somewhat new-found paucity of depth. These things arise over a long playoff slough, and the Hawks need to find a way to bounce back immediately, lest they face an insurmountable 3-0 deficit.
NBA teams are 115-0 all-time when leading 3-0 in a series, while a team down 2-1 has at least mustered a victory 18.2 percent of the time. No pressure or anything, Hawks.
Here are Sunday's projected starting lineups:
Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers, 8:30 p.m. ET
Position | Hawks | Cavaliers |
---|---|---|
PG | Jeff Teague | Matthew Dellavedova |
SG | Kent Bazemore | Iman Shumpert |
SF | DeMarre Carroll | LeBron James |
PF | Paul Millsap | Tristan Thompson |
C | Al Horford | Timofey Mozgov |
Hawks C Al Horford (knee) will play
Hawks SG Kyle Korver (ankle) will not play, out for the season
Hawks SF Thabo Sefolosha (leg) out for the season
Cavaliers PG Kyrie Irving (knee) will not play
Cavaliers PF Kevin Love (shoulder) out for the season
Cavaliers C Anderson Varejao (Achilles) out for the season
Cavaliers lead series 2-0