LeBron James stars as Cleveland Cavaliers ease into 2-0 series lead

Even without Kyrie Irving, who missed game two due to a knee injury, the Cavs eased into a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

LeBron James had a game-high 30 points to go with 11 assists and nine rebounds at the Philips Arena.

Tristan Thompson finished with seven points and 16 rebounds for the winners, while Iman Shumpert had 16 points.

With the next two games of the series in Cleveland, the Cavs are well-placed to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2007.

James holds a 14-0 win-loss record when leading a series 2-0, while the Hawks are 0-16 when trailing by that score.

The Hawks got their usual even contribution, with Dennis Schroder (13 points) their top scorer ahead of Kyle Korver (12), Al Horford (12) and Jeff Teague (12).

But James and the Cavs were untroubled, as the team shot at 40 per cent from three-point range.

Making matters worse for the Hawks, Korver (ankle) and Horford (knee) were hurt during their loss.

Game three is at the Quicken Loans Arena on Sunday.