All season long, the conventional wisdom has held that the NBA is heading for a LeBron vs. Kobe showdown in the NBA Finals. The Pistons and Jazz weren't able to derail that train in Round 1, and now it's the Hawks' and Rockets' turn to try their hand.

Last night, Houston was able to get their series started on the right foot, beating LA at Staples Center 100-92. In winning the game, the Rockets laid out a foundation for victory the Hawks would be wise to follow for tonight's Game 1 of their series against the Cavaliers.

1. They made the Lakers superstar-reliant. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 32 points last night, but took 31 shots from the field to get there. Three other players reached double-figures for LA, but none really made a big enough mark to tip the scales. If the Hawks can make LeBron get his points in an inefficient way while limiting the effectiveness of his teammates, that will be a great start.

2. Hold them to a low percentage from 3-point range. The Lakers were a paltry 2-18 from distance last night (11%). The Cavs were the second-best 3-point shooting outfit in the league in the regular season, making almost 40% of their attempts. Unlike Miami, which over the course of the series were never able to make Atlanta pay for focusing their efforts on Dwyane Wade, Cleveland has several shooters they can let loose on the perimeter. To some extent, the Hawks will have to sacrifice open looks for guys like Delonte West, Mo Williams, and Daniel Gibson to keep LBJ out of the paint, but if they can rotate effectively and make them shoot a lower percentage, their odds for winning will improve.

3. Get to the free throw line and make them count. The Rockets were 25-29 from the charity stripe in Game 1 while the Lakers made just 12-19. That's a 13-point differential, and arguably the difference maker in the game. If the Hawks are aggressive going into the paint tonight and make their foul shots like they did in Game 7 against Miami (where Atlanta made 22-25), it can help the cause tremendously.

While the Hawks won't be entirely at full strength tonight, they will welcome Marvin Williams back to the rotation. Coach Woodson wouldn't specify what his role would be exactly at shootaround today, but did say he didn't have a particular minute total in mind for him. That's good news, because Marvin is arguably the team's best defensive option against LeBron. Al Horford will play, but I wouldn't expect him to be 100% with his injured ankle.

The fun begins tonight at 8:00 on TNT. If you are looking for a place to watch the game, you should drop by one of the Hawks Viewing Parties, being held tonight at Jay's Place in Stone Mountain, Ultimate Bar and Grill on Camp Creek Parkway, or at Rio Grande in Buckhead.

And as always, follow along on twitter during the action.