Before their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Atlanta Hawks were the worst team in the East and the second-worst team in the entire NBA. Their 1-8 record was simply horrible and the Cavaliers were favorites to win the game. Even though the Cavaliers were 4-5 before the game, there was no doubt they were a much better team. However, the Hawks ended up victorious, dropping Cleveland to the 12th spot in the conference.
Following LeBron James' 57-point performance and a win in Washington, the Cavaliers failed to capture their second straight win.
Instead, they collapsed against a bad team once again. LeBron had another sensational performance, but it wasn't enough as his team lost a close contest. At the end, it was the Hawks who escaped with a two-point victory, and James wasn't happy with his team's effort.
James wants more from his teammates
LeBron James scored 26 points on efficient 10-for-17 shooting against Atlanta. He added 13 assists and 5 rebounds to his final stat line, but the Cavaliers still lost the game. This time, Cleveland got a lot from bench players as Dwyane Wade and Kyle Korver played really well.
Wade posted a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds. He also dished out 6 assists and was one of the best players on the floor.
Korver added 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting and 5-for-11 from the long range.
“We don’t want to single anyone out but everyone has to step up their play in order for us to be as good as we would like to be," said LeBron James after the game. “The effort was pretty bad." The four-time MVP also admitted that it's hard to motivate the Cavaliers, but they have to figure out how to do it.
With so many injuries and different lineups, the Cavaliers are having a hard time figuring things out. Being two games under .500 is not a good thing, especially after 10 games in the season. While there is nothing they can do when it comes to injuries, the Cavs should do a better job playing against bad teams.
The upcoming schedule
Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night before they got on a four-game road trip that starts in Houston. The Bucks are not an easy opponent, and the Rockets will be even harder to beat.
Fortunately, Cleveland will play in Dallas after Houston, and this should be a game they should win. They will also visit New York and Charlotte before going back home for a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Considering they will play against a few bad teams, we could see the Cavaliers get back to .500 before their road trip ends.
