Cavs continue their redemption arc by trouncing the Hawks, 137-115

After the All-Star reserves were announced around 30 minutes before tipoff on Thursday, it was apparent that Trae Young, who was left off the list of players making the trip to San Francisco, was not satisfied with the result. He attempted to take it out on the Cavs. It didn’t pan out how he might have hoped.

Atlanta raced out to a 5-0 lead to start the game, but it would hold that lead for under four minutes before the Cavs regained the lead and never relinquished control.

The Cavs’ biggest first-half issue? Fouling.

They racked up 14 personals, gifting Atlanta 20 free throws — nearly a quarter of the Hawks’ 63 first-half points.

The Cavs’ priority coming into the third period was to limit their fouling while still protecting the paint.

In the third, Cleveland limited Atlanta to just five free-throw attempts while outscoring the Hawks 39-21.

“As I was walking in [for halftime], they were talking amongst themselves, ‘Man, we got to keep these guys off the free throw line,” Atkinson said of the accountability from his players. “If we do that, we’ll have a good chance of winning the game. And we showed more discipline.

“Only seven free throws in the second half. That was big.”

Young and the Hawks were without several of their key pieces, including Jalen Johnson (torn labrum) and Clint Capela (back spasms). Atlanta’s point guard tried to shoulder the scoring load, but he scored just 15 points on 5 of 16 shooting from the field. He added 10 assists while committing two turnovers, and he made just one bucket in the second half.

Cleveland utilized the 2-3 zone to deter Young from getting into the paint and having options to create.

“I felt like we kind of kept him on the sidelines,” Atkinson said of containing Young. “When he gets in the middle, he kind of has everything. He’s got the lob, he’s got the kick to the corner, so we really made an effort to pin him, try to keep him, we call it down, keep him on the sidelines.

“That’s a little bit of an adjustment for us. We sent drag screens and all that, middle, tonight we said we’re going to just push him down. So I definitely think that helped.”

The Cavs’ three All-Stars took center stage. Mitchell, already named a starter, had Garland and Mobley join him as reserves just before tipoff — then the trio played like it.

They combined for 66 points.

Even when missing Dean Wade (knee), Caris LeVert (wrist), and Isaac Okoro (shoulder), the supporting cast pushed the Cavs over the edge. In total, the Cavs had seven players score in double figures, three scoring 20 or more points. Ty Jerome anchored a bench unit that contributed 51 points, finishing with 20 points and six assists. It marked Jerome’s 13th career 20-point performance — seven of which have come this season.

The Cavs’ top-ranked offense isn’t just firing on all cylinders — it’s orchestrating a masterpiece. With 35 assists on 53 made shots, their ball movement was poetry in motion, keeping everyone engaged and the Hawks scrambling.

“I think it’s the feedback I get the most from other coaches, which is cool,” Atkinson said of their ball movement. “Your colleagues said ‘Man, you guys moved the ball, wow. You share it. You’re so connected.’

“You got to have the willingness to do it, share it, but our skill level is super high. That makes it easier. Quite honestly tonight we didn’t really call many any plays. That’s just them out there hoopin.”

While the Hawks weren’t at full strength and won’t be for the remainder of the season due to Johnson’s season-ending surgery, the Cavs continue to show how demoralizing they can be for opposing teams as they suffocate them on defense while effortlessly dismantling them on offense.

Cleveland made the most of its final shot at the Hawks, showing that even when shorthanded, it can adapt, adjust, and execute. That ability to learn on the fly isn’t just fueling regular-season success — it’s the kind of edge that defines playoff teams.

Up Next

The Cavs continue their three-game homestand against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday with tipoff set for 3:30 p.m. Eastern at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.