Hawks vs. Cavaliers: Game 4 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 NBA Playoffs

The Cleveland Cavaliers left no doubt as to who the best team in the Eastern Conference is on Tuesday, completing a sweep of the Atlanta Hawks with a 118-88 victory at Quicken Loans Arena to punch a ticket to the NBA Finals.

Cavaliers superstar LeBron James simply wasn't going to be denied on this evening, stuffing the stat sheet with a game-high 23 points to go with nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals with just one turnover.

Bleacher Report's Howard Beck, SB Nation's Tom Ziller and NBA.com passed along some mind-boggling statistics about James' latest trip to the NBA Finals:

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LeBron is now 102-43 (.703) all-time in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

— Tom Ziller (@teamziller) May 27, 2015"

LeBron's former teammate Dwyane Wade took a moment to congratulate his friend: 

A big, pleasant surprise for the new champions of the East came from another Cleveland star.

Kyrie Irving made a surprise start after missing the prior two games due to injury, netting nine first-quarter points to help the Cavs set the tone early as they raced to a 32-20 lead after 12 minutes.

Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico noted how much Irving's gallant effort galvanized the home crowd:

Then James decided to get himself and his teammates involved to stretch Cleveland's lead to 17 at halftime. ESPN Stats & Info highlighted James' role as a catalyst after Irving's hot streak:

Perhaps inspired to see Irving back after he'd essentially willed his team to an overtime victory in Game 3, James was exemplary on both ends of the floor, as evident in the following second-quarter sequence:

Most basketball players who hustle to make their living don't often get a lot of acclaim, but in the case of Tristan Thompson, his relentlessness is impossible not to notice.

Thompson crashed the glass as usual, bolstering his reputation as arguably the best offensive rebounder in the game by nabbing five such boards of his 11 total—along with 16 points to match Irving and an emphatic block on Paul Millsap in the third quarter.

Not always the most productive scorer, Tuesday was a grand, timely exception for Thompson, as he asserted his will inside often:

Bleacher Report's Ethan J. Skolnick believes Thompson is just what Cleveland has needed at the power forward spot, as opposed to injured All-Star Kevin Love:

Six Cavaliers scored in double figures, and J.R. Smith came off the bench to hit four three-pointers, score 18 points and add 10 rebounds. Only James scored more.

It was quite a balanced effort, but James led the charge for Cleveland. For all of the flak he's gotten about not having a killer instinct in the past or being incapable of truly leading a team, James has quieted those critiques by elevating the play of his current squad.

Grantland's Zach Lowe offered his take on Cleveland's sweep:

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Congrats to the Cavs. Team found a new, gritty identity they will take to the Finals. Hawks had a great season, not enough in this series.

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 27, 2015"

Skolnick highlighted how the Cavs have battled back after a tough start to play great basketball, similar to the team touted as the Association's best:

Indeed, unless the Golden State Warriors have an unprecedented collapse and blow what was a 3-0 series lead against Houston, they will be Cleveland's opponent in the NBA Finals.

Turner Sports analyst Charles Barkley did well to describe the road ahead for the Cavs as they try to deliver a major professional sports championship for their loyal fans, per CNN's Rachel Nichols:

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports provided a schedule of the NBA Finals once Cleveland secured its berth:

The presumptive impending matchup with the Warriors is an interesting one. The Cavs seem to have an answer for just about anything Golden State's deep squad can throw at them, not to mention the best all-around player on the planet in James on their side.

Timofey Mozgov has the size to occupy Golden State center Andrew Bogut, while Thompson and James have the defensive ability to man up versatile Warriors forwards Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green.

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Lockdown perimeter defender Iman Shumpert, who shadowed Hawks All-Star point guard Jeff Teague in the beginning of Tuesday's clincher with Irving playing hurt, figures to draw Klay Thompson as his assignment. Smith has also played stout defense since joining the Cavs.

That leaves reigning league MVP Stephen Curry as the one big problem Cleveland may struggle to find a solution for. LeBron believes his team has what it takes to overcome Curry and the Warriors, per Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated: 

No matter what happens from here, though, James' first season back with the Cavs has to be viewed as a raging success. Although it will sting if Cleveland can't deliver four more wins and the Larry O'Brien Trophy, this team has proved itself capable of winning with and without Love, which bodes well for the future.