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Cavs take 2-0 lead

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt gives Lebron James a hug after beating the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals Friday in Atlanta.
James scores 30 points in win over Hawks

ATLANTA — Forget the Big Three.

One is enough for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as long as it’s the King.

LeBron James scored 30 points and the Cavaliers took total command of the Eastern Conference final even without injured star Kyrie Irving, beating the Atlanta Hawks 94-82 on Friday night for a 2-0 lead with the series heading to Ohio.

Cleveland pulled away with a dominating third quarter. James scored 11 points, the Hawks shot just 32 percent (7 of 22), and Cleveland led by as many as 20.

This was a blowout in every sense.

The final margin, with a bunch of backups on the court, was as close as Hawks had been since midway through the third.

“You really can’t make me do what I don’t want to do,” James said. “I play the right way.”

He’ll get no argument from the Hawks.

Irving was scratched before the game because of an ailing left knee. Even so, the Cavaliers cruised to their second straight win in Atlanta.

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