With a huge performance by Trae Young, the Hawks (27-30) picked up a much-needed win, defeating the Cavaliers 124-116 Tuesday at State Farm Arena
Next up, the Hawks will play in Orlando Wednesday, on the second night of a back-to-back, their final game before the All-Star break.
Below are some takeaways from the win:
1. Two talented All-Star guards, Atlanta’s Trae Young and Cleveland’s Darius Garland, put on a show. Ultimately, it was Young who carried his team to a win, adding 41 points (13-for-22 FG, 4-for-7 from 3-point range, 11-for-13 FT), nine assists, three rebounds and a steal, with Garland leading the Cavs with 30 points and eight assists. Young will be a starter in the All-Star game Sunday, and Garland will be a reserve.
“It’s good that we finished off the break at home the right way and we’ve got one more that we’ve got to take care of before the break and like I said, just get a clear mind after break and come back and finish off the season strong,” Young said. “It was big to get this one.”
2. Led by Young, this was an excellent offensive game for the Hawks, who shot 53.8% from the field (43-for-80), 42.4% from 3-point range (14-for-33) and 88.9% from the free-throw line (24-for-27). They had 16 fast-break points to the Cavaliers’ eight, 11 turnovers to the Cavaliers’ 13 and 52 points in the paint to the Cavaliers’ 48.
3. Entering the fourth quarter with a four-point lead and leading by five with 6:22 to play, the Hawks’ lineup of Young, Kevin Huerter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela buckled down and finished off a win against the No. 3 team in the Eastern Conference. They went up nine, 113-104, when Young set up Hunter for a wide-open 3-pointer, and got clutch 3-pointers from Bogdanovic (10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, career-high tying four steals) and Huerter (13 points, three assists) to keep the Cavs at bay. The Hawks executed well down the stretch, taking quality shots, and although they gave up 16 3′s to the Cavs, they did enough defensively to finish off the win.
“I thought our defense was consistent tonight and I just thought we showed a calmness, played with poise,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. “We didn’t force anything and pretty much took what the defense was giving us, but we stayed on the attack. Anytime you stop a run, you’ve got to get defensive stops, and you’ve got to make shots. Tonight, the second half, we were able to do that.”
4. Going up against one of the bigger teams in the league, the Hawks didn’t have power forward John Collins, who is out for at least these last few games before the All-Star break with a right foot strain. Danilo Gallinari started in Collins’ absence and had success, tallying a season-high 25 points, finishing as a plus-seven.
5. Previously tied with the Wizards, the Hawks now have sole possession of the No. 10 seed in the East. A strong finish before the All-Star break is key for the Hawks, who had previously lost four of their last five, cutting into their hopes of finishing in the top six and avoiding the play-in tournament.
Stat of the game: 24-for-27 (what the Hawks shot from the free-throw line, compared to the Cavaliers’ 10-for-12)
Star of the game: Young (had a game-high 41 points and nine assists)
Quotable: “I thought our guys were ready for it tonight.” (McMillan on the Hawks executing against the Cavaliers’ size and ability to mix in some zone defense)
