The Eastern Conference Finals of the National Basketball Association playoffs has finally been set, with the Cleveland Cavaliers ready to go against the Atlanta Hawks. The two teams were the top seeds in the East going into the playoffs. 

The series between the second-seed Cavaliers and the third-seed Chicago Bulls witnessed a couple of nail-biters that ended on a pair of buzzer-beaters. 

After falling in game one of the series on their own home court, the Cavaliers were able to bounce back with a game two victory that evened the series. Game three was a back-and-forth contest that would go down to the wire.

With a few seconds remaining in the contest, the Bulls held the ball for an in-bounds play after Cleveland’s J.R. Smith tied the game with a three-pointer with ten seconds left. 

Chicago’s Mike Dunleavy gave the ball to point guard Derrick Rose, who had been inconsistent all postseason. After missing almost two entire seasons due to injury, Rose looked to right himself during some of these playoffs, but at other times seemed lost. 

All of his woes were forgotten when the Chicago native dribbled to his right and launched a 26-footer from the top of the key over Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson that would hit off of the backboard and in. 

The incredible shot gave Chicago the 2-1 series lead in the No. 3 seed’s upset attempt.

Not to be outdone, James, the four time MVP winner, would cash in on his own game-winning shot in game four of the series. 

With the score tied at 84 a piece, Cavaliers head coach David Blatt drew up a play in the huddle that would feature James as the primary inbounder on the play. 

With under two seconds left in the contest, James would almost definitely not get a chance at the shot. 

The two time NBA Champion, respectfully disagreeing with his coach’s decision, proclaimed, “Give me the ball and get out of the way.”   

Guard Matthew Dellavedova would pass the ball to James who ran to the corner and hit a contested jumper that would find the bottom of the net. 

The buzzer-beater sent the Cleveland bench into pandemonium in front of a silent Chicago crowd. 

With all the momentum on its side, Cleveland would steamroll over Chicago in the next two games and win the series in only six. 

The final contest would see the Bulls handily defeated by over 20 points on their own court.  

Even more impressive about the series victory was Cleveland’s resilience with some of its star players injured on the sideline. 

The biggest blow came in the final game of the opening round against the Boston Celtics in the form of a separated shoulder for power forward Kevin Love. Fellow starter, guard Kyrie Irving, played through knee pain throughout the series and was never completely himself. 

Although James carried the team in the absence of his fellow stars, other players stepped up the Cavaliers. In Game Six, Dellavedova scored a team-high 19 points as Thompson led the team in rebounding with 17 total boards.  

The entire team will need to elevate their talents as their next opponent will impose quite the challenge.The Hawks took apart the Washington Wizards in only six games as they look to prove their worth as the No. 1 seed from the East. 

All year the pundits had been predicting a Hawks-Cavaliers conference final, but few could have seen the wrath of injuries that would hit Cleveland.

For Lebron, it is his fifth straight appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, the previous four of which ultimately landed him in the NBA Finals. 

-Noah Hessdorf