The Hawks have handed the Cavs two of their three losses this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland mentioned after Wednesday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks that their rematch on Friday in the NBA Cup group stage play was the one that actually mattered. There was nothing from Cleveland’s performance in the 117-101 defeat that made you believe that was the case. The loss all but officially eliminates the Cavs from advancing to the quarterfinals in the NBA Cup.
All of the issues that were present in Wednesday’s loss were on display again. The defense was once again non-existent. The Hawks were able to generate clean looks at the rim (finished 16-19 in the restricted area) and from beyond the arc (14-34 from three). The only thing keeping the score somewhat respectable was Atlanta’s 18 sloppy turnovers.
Atlanta went into their two-game set against the Cavs with the 20th-ranked offense. You wouldn’t have believed that if you just saw them play these two games. But, any NBA offense can look good if there’s minimal pressure on the perimeter that allows their shooters to get into a comfortable rhythm like they’ve benefited against Cleveland.
The biggest difference between this performance from the Cavs’ perspective and Wednesday’s was the offense. The Cavs couldn’t make an outside shot in their first meeting as they went 15-48 from three (31%), but the offense was still good. They were able to get into the paint and still put up a 119.2 offensive rating which was in the 66th percentile.
Cleveland once again couldn’t get anything to go from three (11-38), but this time they couldn’t get anything to fall at the basket either. They put up 23 points in each the second and third quarters which is something we haven’t seen too often from this group. It also isn’t nearly enough considering how the defense was playing.
Third quarters have been an issue throughout the season. That was where the Cavs lost this one. They fought to make it a two-point game at the close of the half but then didn’t come out of the locker room with any kind of fight. They were outscored 39-23 in that frame alone
Evan Mobley was one of the few bright spots for the Cavs. He was hands down their best player on both ends of the floor as he put up 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists on 10-17 shooting. Garland had a solid offensive showing with 29 points on 11-19 shooting with 5 assists. His defense, along with many of the Cavs, was an issue.
Donovan Mitchell didn’t have it on Friday afternoon which led to a good portion of their offensive struggles. He finished with 12 points on 5-23 shooting with 11 rebounds and 6 assists.
De’Andre Hunter led the Hawks as he contributed 23 points on 7-12 shooting from the floor. Trae Young added 21 points and 11 assists. Jalen Johnson also had 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 helpers.
The loss essentially eliminates the Cavs from NBA Cup play and gives them their first losing streak of the season. The defense remains troubling. That will need to drastically change if they have any hope of defeating the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
