Kyrie Irving proves : Eastern Conference finals

Kyrie Irving proves : Eastern Conference finals

 After so much frustration -- lottery trips, roster turnover, losing streaks, coaching changes and injuries -- Irving wanted to be a part of the Eastern Conference coronation.

The news was revealed about 30 minutes before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals: Kyrie Irving had been medically cleared to play for the first time since the series opener.


It didn't take long for him to put his mark on the contest.

As he continues to battle left knee tendinitis, the dazzling youngster scored the Cavaliers' first basket, an open eight-foot jumper off a LeBron James pass. Two possessions later, Irving buried his next shot, a three-pointer, which gave him five points in a little more than two minutes.

In the 118-88 blowout win against the Atlanta Hawks, which turned into an early celebration, the three-time All-Star finished with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three-point range.

Irving also added five assists, four rebounds, one steal and a block in 22 quality minutes, showing he is ready for the NBA Finals.

There were no signs of rust and there wasn't a visible limp as he got into the paint and completed a few of his trademark layups, bringing the crowd to its feet once he was able to pop up quickly and go back to the other end on defense.

Three of Irving's six made baskets came in the lane, showing the explosiveness and lift that had seemingly been lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Chicago.

Irving was one of six players to score in double figures as the Cavs sliced up the overmatched Atlanta defense. LeBron James (23), J.R. Smith (18), Tristan Thompson (16), Timofey Mozgov (14) and Matthew Dellavedova (10) were the others.

While Irving's stat line is hardly eye popping, he earned Tuesday night's moment after a brilliant regular season highlighted by being named to the All-NBA Team for the first time in his career.

Him playing 22 minutes was an important hurdle to clear, getting to answer questions that have existed since he was forced to visit Dr. James Andrews prior to Game 2 in Atlanta. Now he knows what he can do, able to test his ailment and play through the pain. He, and the team, know he will be ready for either Golden State or Houston, four wins from a NBA title.

Cr.Cleveland