The Cavaliers grabbed their third-straight win in impressive fashion.
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson mentioned that multiple players kept yawning during shootaround ahead of their second game in as many nights. Any concerns he had about his team’s energy were quickly alleviated as the Cavs had one of the best offensive performances of the season. They ran away with a one-sided 137-115 victory over the Atlanta Hawks for their third win in a row.
The Cavs scored 39 points in the first quarter to set the tone. Darius Garland led the way in that frame with 10 early points just minutes after being named an All-Star for the second time in his career.
The Hawks made it a game in the second quarter as they won the frame 34-32 behind 14 second-quarter points from rookie Zaccharie Risacher to make it an eight-point deficit.
Cleveland broke it open from there with a 39-point third quarter thanks to 8 quick points from Max Strus and an efficient 12 points from Donovan Mitchell. The 26-point lead they had after the third quarter was more than enough to coast to an easy victory.
The Cavs’ half-court execution is what made the difference. They continually probed the defense until they found the soft spots to attack. And the Hawks gave them more than enough openings to exploit.
The pace that Atkinson’s team played at on Thursday helped as well. They continued to play fast, but in control which is a difficult balance to strike despite how easy the Cavs made it look.
Garland is a big reason why both the half-court execution and the pace have been so good. He finished with 26 points and 7 assists.
Mitchell set the tone for the game. He came out with the same impressive energy he did in Miami. He provided 24 points and 6 assists.
Newly minted All-Star, Evan Mobley, had an impressive showing which included dunking on Vit Krejci.
THE SPIDA NO-LOOK.
THE MOBLEY POSTER JAM.#NBAAllStar teammates putting on a show on TNT! pic.twitter.com/vlXeWvFZ9p— NBA (@NBA) January 31, 2025
Mobley ended the game with 16 points on 7-12 shooting with 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
Ty Jerome once again had a solid showing off the bench as he registered 20 points on 9-11 shooting with 6 helpers.
Risacher led the Hawks with 28 points on 10-13 shooting with 1 rebound and 1 assist. Trae Young had 15 points on 5-16 shooting with 10 assists.
The Cavs will be back in action Sunday as they host the Dallas Mavericks.