RotoWire – Jeff Edgerton

Although Cavs Legion GC and Hawks Talon GC are out of the playoff hunt, both teams have shown flashes of brilliance and lost some close games down the stretch. The Hawks have played inspired ball lately, and the 2-0 win over the Hornets earlier in the week has put them in the conversation as an early favorite in the upcoming TICKET tournament, powered by AT&T. The Hawks kept the ball rolling, sweeping the Cavs 2-0 on Friday.

The Hawks jumped out to an early lead in Game 1, but the Cavs neutralized that hot start with a run of their own to make it a two-possession game. BP and the Hawks threw in a few more baskets to take an 18-10 lead to end the first quarter. The point guard battle between BP and Doza figured to be the key matchup in this game, and BP dominated this clash in the early going. Technical issues hit the matchup at halftime, so after a 15-minute delay, the teams returned to play one more half of ball with the Hawks ahead, 34-30. BP scored 19 of the Talon’s 34 points in the first half.

The adjusted second half started just like the first half, with the Hawks jumping out to a 9-0 run. The Cavs did their best to keep it close, but the Hawks pushed their advantage out to 14 points a the end of the quarter. Due to the restart, the game would end with a little over a minute to remain in the fourth, so the Cavs would have to mount a run quickly to overcome their deficit. Their run never materialized, and the Hawks ultimately took the first game and picked up where they left off after the sweep of the Hornets. BP led all scorers with 31 points and eight assists, and Lee cam through for the HAwks under the basket with 18 points and 14 assists.

The Hawks kept rolling in the second game and jumped out to a 16-2 advantage with little resistance. The Cavs were able to manage a 12-2 charge of their own to keep the game from getting out of hand, and the quarter ended with the Hawks holding a 21-16 lead. Behind 19 points from Doza, the Cavs climbed back into the game and only trailed by two at halftime after a 19-16 second quarter.

Doza opened up the third quarter with an explosion of production, which propelled the Cavs into an eight-point lead. The Hawks slowly climbed back into it, and the teams exchanged baskets well into the fourth quarter. Down by three, MrStylez nailed a three to tie the game up, and then Kel sunk a quick transition basket to give the Hawks the lead with a little more than a minute remaining. With 11 seconds left, the Hawks had the lead and extended it out to 10 points, resulting in a 73-63 final and a 2-0 series sweep. BP capped off an excellent series with 34 points and eight assists.

Cavs Legion GC (4-8) play Kings Guard Gaming next week. Hawks Talon GC (6-8) will play Celtics Crossover Gaming next week as well.