By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
LeBron James scored 25 points, Kyrie Irving added 21, and Cleveland withstood a strong second-half surge by Atlanta to maintain its chokehold on the Hawks with a 104-93 victory Monday in the opening game of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
German guard Dennis Schroder scored a playoff career-high 27, dished 6 assists and rallied the Hawks before they crumbled in the closing minutes. Atlanta’s offense bogged down in crunch time, and the Hawks scored only two field goals in the final four minutes. Swiss Thabo Sefolosha added 2 points for the losing side.