Cavaliers roll over Hawks 101-85
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-06 11:19

Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 20 of his 28 points after halftime and the Cleveland Cavaliers shut down Atlanta early in the fourth quarter for a 101-85 win over the Hawks on Wednesday night.

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, wearing his fitted mask to protect a face injury, dunks the ball during the first quarter of game against the Atlanta Hawks at Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, January 5, 2005. Hawks player Tony Delk looks on. [Reuters]

LeBron James added 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds in his second game wearing a protective mask over a broken left cheek for the Cavs, who clamped down on the Hawks, blanking them 12-0 in the first 8:16 of the final quarter.

Atlanta missed its first 12 shots — and both free-throw attempts — in the fourth before Tyronn Lue dropped a 15-foot jumper to bring the Hawks to 90-79.

By then it was too late, and James ended any thoughts of a comeback by draining a 3-pointer 34 seconds later. Jeff McInnis added another 3 and James dropped another long-range shot to put the Cavs up 101-83 with 54.3 seconds left.

Atlanta was outscored 23-8 in the last 12 minutes, matching a club record for fewest points in the fourth done three times, most recently on March 4, 2004, against Minnesota.

Antoine Walker scored 26 points and Al Harrington added 16 for Atlanta (5-25), which has lost five straight. The Hawks were just 3-of-18 from the floor in the fourth.

Ilgauskas scored 14 points in the third quarter when the Cavs tried to pull away. But Walker kept Atlanta close, making a pair of 3-pointers and scoring 10 points in the period as the Hawks went into the fourth down 78-77.

But Ilgauskas and James scored two baskets apiece, McInnis hit a jumper after Ilgauskas ran the ball down in the corner and Lucious Harris made two free throws as the Cavs opened a 90-77 lead before the Hawks finally scored.

Cleveland contested every shot, and Ilgauskas and James both had blocks during the Cavs' decisive burst.

The Cavaliers were flat in the first half, perhaps thinking they could coast to a third straight win this season over the Hawks. But after trailing by seven points, Atlanta rallied behind rookie Josh Smith, who scored the final nine points before halftime to put the Hawks ahead 49-48.

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