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NBA Eastern Conference finals: Cleveland Cavaliers v Atlanta Hawks previewed by Alex Ferguson

Who does he pick to win?

Can LeBron James lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a title? Or can the Atlanta Hawks continue their Cinderella run?

Alex Ferguson previews the NBA Eastern Conference final...

Why Cleveland Cavaliers will win...

When Kevin Love got injured in the Cavs series against the Boston Celtics, the pressure was heaped on LeBron James to carry the team. And carry the team he has. Despite some struggles shooting – especially in Game 6 in Chicago where he went a horrible 7 for 23, James has still managed to average 26.3 points per game. He’s also snagged 10.2 rebounds and has 7.9 assists. In short, he’s been everywhere. James has also acted as cheerleader, motivator and leader on the team, and his energy will carry Cleveland home.

But the reason why the Cavs are favoured in this series is that they have so many other weapons. Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov average over 16 rebounds as a pair. JR Smith is an excellent three-point scorer. And Aussie Matthew Dellavedova is a scrappy player who can also shoot – which will give Atlanta a lot of problems, too.

And if Cleveland can get some good minutes out of Kyrie Irving, who’s struggling with knee and foot injuries, Atlanta won’t be able to win the close game because the Cavs will be up 10.

This team looks destined for the Finals. Sorry, Atlanta.

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Why Atlanta Hawks will win...

If Paul Pierce’s shot had not left his hand half-a-millisecond too late, the Atlanta Hawks might have been in a Game 7 against Washington. The series was close all the way through, with both teams winning and losing heartbreakers. It was great fun to watch – although not particularly easy on the eye.

But if we’re honest, the Hawks weren’t overly impressive in the play-offs, struggling against Brooklyn – who they beat 4-2 – before the Wizards series (which they also won 4-2). The clinical three-point taking that’s been the mark of the Hawks hasn’t been great, with Kyle Korver – among the league's best shooters from behind the arc in the regular season – averaging just 29 per cent from three – including going 0-7 in Game 6 and 1-5 in Game 5.

Look, it’s not just about Korver. The Hawks play as a unit and don’t ever seem to look flustered. Al Horford – their hero in Game 5 against Washington– has led the team on the boards (9.9 rebounds/game), and scores 15.6 points per game.

And even if James and the Cavs do stop Horford, then they’ve got DeMarre Carroll, Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap, all who have averaged double-digits this play-offs, to deal with.

This team can win close games, too – they’ve come home with the ‘W’ in the last three games… which were decided by five points or less.

So who's going to win?

LeBron takes Cleveland to the NBA Finals in six, I think.

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