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Cavaliers overwhelm with the 3 to win in 4

Let’s put a bow on the Cleveland Cavaliers' 3-point shooting prowess, just as the Cavaliers put a bow on the Atlanta Hawks in finishing off a four-game sweep, which made them the ninth team in NBA history to start a postseason 8-0 or better.

The Cavaliers were 16-of-37 from 3-point range Sunday. They became the first team to make at least 15 3-pointers in four straight games (regular season or playoffs).

Their 77 3-pointers (in four games) are tied for the second most by any team in any series in NBA history. The other three teams to make at least 77 3-pointers in a series needed seven games to do it.

The 77 3-pointers are also the most in a four-game series … by a lot. The next most is 57, by the same Cavaliers team in their first-round series against the Pistons. The record entering this season was 49, by last year’s Cavaliers and the 2011 Mavericks.

The Cavaliers rank in the top three this postseason in uncontested 3-point attempts, as well as attempts from the corner, off catch-and-shoots and directly off passes. Even with the high number of attempts, the Cavs have been the most efficient making all of these attempts, and only got better in Round 2.

The Cavaliers are shooting 51 percent on corner 3-pointers this postseason, 50 percent on catch-and-shoot shots, 52 percent off passes and 59 percent on uncontested shots. The latter three all rank first in the NBA.

LeBron never loses

Let’s also put a bow on some pretty amazing LeBron James tidbits.

James has won 17 straight Eastern Conference playoff series. The last one he lost was the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Celtics.

James has started 8-0 in the postseason for the second time. He also did so in 2009. He’s the fourth player in NBA history to start 8-0 in multiple postseasons. The other three were members of the “Showtime” Lakers teams of the 1980s: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Cooper.

However, teams that sweep the first two rounds don't have a great history. Of the four others to do so since the first round went to seven games in 2003, each of them lost in the conference finals.