Hawks receiving harsh tutorial on what it takes to contend in East

6:46 PM ET

ATLANTA –- Mike Budenholzer’s voice is already deep and raspy.

But on Saturday, the Atlanta Hawks coach sounded extra scratchy and gravelly. This is what happens when your opponent, the Cleveland Cavaliers, has made 3-pointers at a historic rate. The Hawks trail 3-0 in the series and have not been able to remotely slow LeBron James and his teammates.

“I can’t remember three games at this rate, at this clip,” Budenholzer said on a conference call. The Cavaliers have averaged 20 3s a game while shooting 53 percent (61-of-115) from behind the arc in this series.

“Cleveland is playing at a really, really high level. We are seeing in three games the level it takes to advance to an NBA finals or even an Eastern Conference finals.”

If there is any team in the East that has received a brutal tutorial on what it takes to contend in the conference, it’s Budenholzer’s Hawks.

Last year, Atlanta was swept by Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals when James averaged an unreal 30.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists. On Sunday, they face being swept again.

The Hawks entered this best-of-seven series believing they were better than a year ago. Everyone can see that Atlanta’s roster doesn’t have the star power or talent that Cleveland possesses. But the Hawks thought they were armed with an improved defense from a year ago.

In the two competitive fourth quarters of this series so far — Games 1 and 3, when the Hawks held a lead and had a chance to win — Atlanta was completely outclassed by the Cavaliers during crunch time.

In Game 1, Atlanta led by one with 4:28 to go and lost by 11. In Game 3, the Hawks led 101-93 with 9:14 to go and lost, 121-108, after Cleveland went on a 28-7 run.

After …

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