Sights, sounds and observations from the Cavaliers' 135-130 victory over the Atlanta Hawks Friday night at Philips Arena.
1. Kyle Korver genuinely did not know that his 3-pointer with 1:17 remaining was the shot that gave the Cavs the NBA record for most 3-pointers in a regular-season game with 25. But he realized the irony.
2. Korver was on the other side of the feat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Quicken Loans Arena last May 4, when the Cavs hit 25 from long range to establish the mark for most 3s in a regular- or post-season game.
3. "Oh, I knew that. I remember that one," Korver said. "That’s ironic, I guess. I don’t know what else to say, but I’m glad I’m on this side of that."
4. There was more to the irony. Korver was traded from the Hawks to the Cavs on Jan. 7 and Friday was his first trip back to Atlanta since. The Hawks honored him with a video tribute after the first quarter and Korver spent an emotional two days in the city where he played for 41/2 seasons.
5. The Cavs surpassed their franchise regular-season record of 22 (set Dec. 7 against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden) when Richard Jefferson sank No. 23 with 6:47 remaining. LeBron James notched No. 24, equaling the Houston Rockets' regular-season mark, with three minutes left.
6. The Cavs hit 25 of 46 (54.3 percent) from 3-point range and seven players contributed. James led the way with six (his season high), followed by Kyrie Irving (five), Derrick Williams, Korver, Jefferson and Channing Frye (all with three) and Iman Shumpert (two). And to think that two of the Cavs' best shooters -- J.R. Smith and Kevin Love -- remain sidelined after surgery.
7. "We had 31 assists and when the ball was moving like that and the ball has energy behind it, it was perfect," James said. "It’s great to be a part of a record-setting night and it’s even better that Kyle was the one to hit the record back in the building that he played so many seasons in. It’s a special night."
8. While the Hawks seem to be turning into the Cavs' 3-point punching bag -- don't forget Frye's career playoff-high seven in Game 3 of the East semifinals at Atlanta last May 6 -- that may be mere coincidence.
9. "We've got of great shooters and it’s definitely something that’s a part of our team, part of our DNA," James said. "When you have Swish, when you have Kev, it makes us even more dynamic. But we don’t talk about it like, ‘Let’s go set a 3-point record.’ It just happens in the flow."
10. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue appreciated the record, but it may have been tinged by the fact that he saw his team lose a 25-point lead with 7:06 left in the third quarter. The Hawks cut it to one with 1:32 to go.
11. "It’s nice to achieve records. Means your team is playing well," Lue said. "They deserve it, they shot the ball well and made the extra pass, made the right plays, so they deserve the record." But when he thought about the frantic finish and the number of 3-pointers, Lue said, "Probably could have had more."
12. An Irving 3 from the corner that gave the Cavs a 69-52 lead with 2:54 left in the second quarter showed how they took the extra pass to the extreme. Counting a weak throw-in and the outlet, the Cavs made 10 passes before Irving finished it on an assist from Korver.
13. "To me that’s basketball at its best, when guys are passing up good shots for great shots," Korver said. "We could have shot the ball five or six times on that possession and the ball just kept on swinging. When guys play with that mindset, this is a really hard team to guard. We have so many shooters the guys have to respect. That clip, the coaching staff would take that and say, ‘This is how we want to play all the time.’ We have a lot of great playmakers, LeBron obviously at the head of that sets the tone and Kyrie’s so dangerous."
14. Irving had already seen the play on SportsCenter and liked it on Instagram.
15. "It was unbelievable. We had a few possessions like that. Most of them successful and other ones it was still good shots," Irving said. "Everybody has been really good about touching the ball and moving it and when we do that we’re a tough team to beat."
16. James said the Cavs had some great shots that came off one pass, others like that one. "We have really, really good players and a good shot is not good enough for our team. We should always seek out the great shot," James said.
17. The Cavs know the record may not stand for long. The Rockets set the regular-season mark with 24 against the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 16.
18. "Records are always meant to be broken, so when you have so many great shooting teams in the league you don’t even hold your breath. You feel like any given night it can happen," James said. "We’re just happy to be a part of the history books as it stands today."
19. There was more irony in that the record came on the night the Hawks retired the No. 44 of Hall of Famer "Pistol Pete" Maravich as his wife and son watched. Irving said he left the locker room early so he could see the ceremony.
20. "Knowing the impact that he made on the game, my dad probably has to move out of the way. A.I. (Allen Iverson) has probably got to move out of the way. Kobe (Bryant) has probably got to move out of the way," Irving said. "Pistol Pete was unbelievable, man. I wish there were more highlights. I sit there just as a competitor and watch him just really transition from college power to the NBA, being able to score the basketball, being able to pass like that. He just had a whole bunch of fun and he still didn’t think he was playing well enough when he scored like 50 or 60. A great player like that echoes greatness."
21. James thought back to Maravich's days at LSU, where he didn't play as a freshman. Maravich died in 1988 at age 40.
22. "Hs legacy is unbelievable," James said. "Averaging 44, 45, 44 a game. No 3-point line. I mean he’s the all-time leader in collegiate history in just three years and his game was before his time. He was a guy who was going behind the back, between the legs, throwing behind-the-back passes, flashy passes in an era where no one really saw that. It’s great to see him get recognized. Unfortunately his death was a little bit sooner than people expected, but his legacy lives on."
23. With his awe-inspiring moves, some might see a little bit of Maravich in Irving. But James said the closest player he's seen to Maravich's skill set is Jason Williams, aka "White Chocolate," the seventh overall pick of the Sacramento Kings in 1988 who played 13 seasons.
24. "In White Chocolate I could see the resemblance in those guys -- that fast, quick-twitch, real flashy type of game. And they both were really good in this league," James said. "Kyrie is a little bit different."
25. The Cavs have a back-to-back in Miami Saturday night and the Hawks' fourth-quarter rally may change Lue's plans on how to rest his starters. He may have hoped to get them to the bench early against the Hawks. Instead, James played 39 minutes in recording his 30th double-double of the season with 38 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists and Irving went 35 minutes in pouring in 43 points (second only to his 49 at New Orleans this season) with nine assists. Check back then.