Hawks Back in the Win Column, Top Cavaliers 124-116

Atlanta fans left State Farm Happy on Tuesday night following the Atlanta Hawks victory over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers. This was the last home game for the Hawks before the All-Star break, and the front end of a back-to-back. The Hawks travel to Orlando to take on the Magic Wednesday evening. 

This arguably could be the biggest win for the Hawks this season. Atlanta put forth a consistent performance for all 48 minutes. The Cavaliers had multiple run’s and spurt’s, and even took the lead in the middle of the third period. Yet, the Hawks were up to the task and Head Coach, Nate McMillan, liked what he saw tonight.

“I thought our defense was consistent tonight. We showed a calmness and played with poise,” said McMillan. “We didn’t force anything and pretty much took what the defense was giving us.”

The defense was a big component, but the star of the show was the Hawks’ All-Star starter, Trae Young. Young put together another masterful performance, finishing with 41 points, on 59% shooting, and 9 assists. Only four players in the NBA have put up five-plus games of 40+point this season: Joel Embiid, Steph Curry, Giannis Antentokounmpo, and Young. Young did a great job of getting to the foul line against the Cavaliers “Twin Tower” line-up. He shot 11-of-13 overall from the line. 

To couple with Young’s “forty-piece,” Danilo Gallinari poured in 25 points as a spot-starter for John Collins, who was out of the line-up for the second straight game due to a foot strain. This was only Gallinari’s second 20-point game this season and it could not have come at a better time. De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Kevin Huerter, combined for 41, but each player made timely plays and buckets when counted upon. 

“I just thought we played good. We made shots and got stops when we needed to,” said Young. “Besides the first quarter, they didn’t really have a big quarter. It was good the way we played and finished the game.”

Cleveland’s Kevin Love scored 14 points in six minutes of action to start this evening. He finished with 21 overall. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley showed why they could be a potentially lethal combination in the future. Garland finished with 30 points on the evening on 55% shooting from the field. Garland was making his way into the painted area all night long. Mobley touted his length and athleticism a couple times throughout this contest on his way to another double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds. Young & Co. were too much in the end for the Cavaliers and took one-step closer to that elusive .500 mark. The team plays on the road tomorrow night in Orlando. The Magic are a lottery team, but the Hawks must play with urgency. The season series between these two clubs is tied at one. There will be a nine-day period of no Hawks basketball because of the All-Star break. The Hawks could use two victories as to a split heading into festivities. Tip-off for Wednesdays’s game is at 7:00 p.m. eastern.