The Cavaliers finally got an easy playoff win Wednesday.
They beat the Hawks 123-98 in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series, their sixth straight win to open the postseason. It was by far the team's most dominating performance yet, as Cleveland set an NBA record for 3-pointers in a game with 25 in the blowout.
MORE: Top photos from second round
It was a far cry from their surprisingly tough opening-round series against the Pistons, which the Cavs swept but were challenged in every game. And even Monday's 104-93 win in Game 1 against the Hawks wasn't exactly easy. The Cavs were up by 18 in that one, but the Hawks managed to come back before the hosts put the nail in the coffin.
That wasn't the case Wednesday. The Cavs jumped out to a 35-20 lead in the first quarter and took a 74-38 lead into halftime.
BIRDSONG: Just give the Cavs the East already
The big cushion allowed the Cavs to rest their Big Three as LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love all played less than 30 minutes. That's especially big for Love, who banged up his shoulder in Game 1. It's unlikely they'll shoot this well the rest of the series, but anytime they can rest the big guns, it's a big win for the Cavs.
Now they know how the Warriors feel.
As it happens, the old record of 20 3-pointers in a game, which the Cavs tied in Game 3 of the first round, was broken four days later by the Warriors when they made 21 attempts in their series against the Rockets.
Stud of the Night
J.R. Smith continues to have the hot hand from the 3-point line. Smith connected on seven of his 13 attempts from the long range en route to a 23-point performance. He’s shooting 52.5 percent from beyond the arc this postseason.
Dud of the Night
The Hawks' starters stunk it up Wednesday, shooting a combined 11 for 38 from the field.
Tweet of the Night
The Cavs hit ALL the 3-pointers. Not really, but close enough. Here is a visual.
.@cavs knocked down TWENTY-FIVE THREES, the most in ANY game - regular season or #NBAPlayoffs - in @NBAHistory! 💦💦💦 pic.twitter.com/OcX43IFANa
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) May 5, 2016
Looking ahead
Heat at Raptors, Game 2, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN (Heat lead 1-0): The Heat stole Game 1 in Toronto, taking home-court advantage away from the Raptors. Kyle Lowry must play better (and he knows it) than the 3-for-12 shooting display he put up Tuesday.