Credit: Mark Bradley
Credit: Mark Bradley
The calendar year -- and we're barely into March, I note -- has seen more than its share of prime Atlanta Hawks home dates: Thunder here on the night of the record-breaking 15th in a row; Trail Blazers here a week later; Warriors here a week after that. And Tuesday's game wasn't bad, either, even if James Harden didn't play for the Rockets. But this Friday brings LeBron James to town, and that's when the amp goes from 10 to 11 if not 111.
The Hawks lead Cleveland, LeBron's latest team, by 10 1/2 games with 22 to play. But the Cavaliers, to give them their due, have won 20 of 24 and beat Golden State last week and Toronto on Tuesday. Naturally, this has inspired many in the media to proclaim the Cavs the East's best team -- even if the standings don't reflect anything of the sort.
Any sign of a Cleveland uptick was bound to become an uproar, given that the Cavs have LeBron and the hoops world revolves around him. And I'd also submit that the Hawks, who've won five straight after that post-All-Star flop-apalooza against the Raptors, aren't playing quite as well as when they were winning 35 of 37. But it's not like they've turned tail at the sound of LeBron's approaching footsteps. This isn't a team easily cowed.
If the Cavs win Friday, we'll be treated to six weeks of the The-King-Has-Reclaimed-His-Throne stories. If the Hawks win, we'll be buffeted with It's-Only-A-Matter-Of-Time-Before-The-King-Reclaims-His-Throne. Because he's LeBron, he and his team will always be granted the benefit of every doubt. But I have fewer doubts about these Hawks than I do LeBron's Cavs. At last check, 48-12 trumps 39-24.
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