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With Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Kyle Korver done for the playoffs with an ankle injury, all eyes will be on backup shooting guard Kent Bazemore in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Bazemore made bold comments about his team after the Game 2 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, which set the stage for the highly anticipated matchup Sunday night. However, one can only assume he did not believe he would be put in a position to have a direct impact on his statement.
“We played them in the regular season this year and got the best of them,” Bazemore said, according to ESPN. “I still think we’re the better team. We just haven’t shown it yet.”
Atlanta defeated Cleveland in three of four games during the regular season, but none of that matters in the playoffs. The Cavaliers have proven to be the better team thus far, using a combination of impressive offense and a developed defense to stifle the Hawks every chance they get.
With Korver out, the 25-year-old Bazemore will make his first career postseason start. In 16.1 minutes per game during the playoffs, he has averaged 4.4 points and 2.7 points per contest. More impressively, he is converting 45.1 percent of his 3.6 shot attempts from the field.
Clearly, losing Korver is a major setback to a team that cannot afford to have any more hardships come their way, especially being down two games to none in the series. With that said, the Hawks cannot use it as an excuse, either. Many teams have come back from 2-0 deficits in the playoffs, and Atlanta has the necessary firepower to get the job done. Of course, that means banding together to record a win in Game 3.
Bazemore was not shy in front of the media in which he stated how he believes the Hawks are better than the Cavaliers. No one appreciates it when a player provides bulletin board material for another team, which is why he better play the best game of his career in Cleveland tonight.
