Cavs drop second straight game to Hawks, 117-101

On November 30, 2024By Littum

ATLANTA — Thanksgiving had a sour taste after the Cavs’ second loss of the season, and the leftovers don’t taste any better.

For the second time in as many games, Cleveland fell to the Atlanta Hawks, 117-101, this time at State Farm Arena on Friday afternoon, officially ending their NBA Cup hopes.

The Cavs, whose offense dazzled to start the season, have now hit a wall.

What once seemed like a can’t-miss team struggled to buy a bucket, with only Darius Garland and Evan Mobley showing any consistency.

Donovan Mitchell, typically the team’s offensive heartbeat, missed his first nine shots and never found his rhythm. Garland and Mobley combined for 34 of Cleveland’s 50 points in the first half, while the rest of the lineup managed just 16.

Garland finished with 29 points, including five triples and five assists. Mobley added 24 points and 12 rebounds. Mitchell finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists while shooting 5 of 23 from the field.

The Cavs’ ineffectiveness defined the game as they shot an abysmal 40.9% from the floor and 28.9% from 3-point range. The Hawks, on the other hand, executed with precision, shooting 51.8% from the field and 41.2% from deep.

The Cavs’ defensive rotations, which had been a focal point, betrayed them repeatedly. Overhelping on drives left Atlanta’s shooters open in the corners, a glaring problem that the Hawks exploited with back-to-back 3-pointers.

Caris LeVert returned from a four-game absence with a left knee injury and provided a much-needed spark, scoring all eight of his points in the third quarter. His effort briefly trimmed the deficit, but the Hawks were relentless, scoring 39 points in the period and stretching their lead to 18 heading into the final frame.

The Cavs’ bench, a key component of their early-season success, was nonexistent, contributing just 28 points compared to Atlanta’s 50.

Adding insult to injury was another standout performance from De’Andre Hunter, who posted his second straight 20-point game against the Cavs. A player Cleveland may see as a potential trade target showed exactly why he could be valuable — but this time, he did it at their expense.

The Cavs, seemingly coming in with an advantage on the interior in size and strength with Jarrett Allen and Mobley, were outrebounded 53-40.

This marked the Cavaliers’ first instance of back-to-back losses this season, dropping them to 17-3. While that’s still an impressive record, back-to-back losses against a team they’re expected to surpass revealed cracks in the approach on both ends of the floor. Their reliance on isolation scoring and defensive overrotation have emerged as liabilities against well-prepared opponents.

The Cavs welcome the Boston Celtics, who have the second-best record in the NBA, to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as they hope to bounce back on Sunday night. Tipoff is set for 6pm Eastern on NBA TV.

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