Cleveland Cavaliers (51-29) beat Atlanta Hawks (45-35) 122-116 at home on Wednesday, April 8.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Cavaliers struck first, taking the opening quarter 33-29 and a 4-point lead after one. The Hawks moved in front with a 38-27 second quarter, carrying a 7-point lead into halftime.
The Cavaliers won the third 44-20 to turn the game around, taking a 17-point lead into the fourth. The Hawks took the fourth 29-18; the Cavaliers held on for a 122-116 regulation win.
What decided it
The Cavaliers made 31.8 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 10.2 for the Hawks. The Cavaliers grabbed 23.3% of their own misses, while the Hawks recovered 21.3%. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
At roughly 105 possessions per team, the Cavaliers produced 116.2 points per 100 possessions to 110.5 for the Hawks.
Who made the difference
Donovan Mitchell was the game's biggest individual force for CLE: 31 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast on 12-19 shooting. His Game Score of 25.7 led everyone. His team was +20 with him on the floor.
Jonathan Kuminga led the Hawks with 24 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast on 11-20 shooting, good for a 16.5 Game Score.
Evan Mobley (22 pts, 19 reb, 3 ast) and Jalen Johnson (12 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Cavaliers about a 67% chance.
Across the last 5 meetings in our records, Atlanta Hawks lead 3-2.
The Cavaliers are now 51-29, and the Hawks are 45-35. The Cavaliers last five before this game: W-L-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.