The Cavaliers are chasing a fourth straight win tonight, and they’ll have to do it in Atlanta in the first back-to-back of their season.
Cleveland picked up its latest victory last night behind Evan Mobley, who finished with 24 points and went 5 of 6 from three-point range. At the moment, he’s actually shooting better from deep than he is inside the arc, a pretty striking trend for a player who keeps expanding his game.
This will be only the Cavaliers’ second road game of the season, and the matchup comes against an Atlanta team still sorting itself out after dealing away Trae Young. Since then, Jalen Johnson has taken on more of the load and has been the clear driver of what the Hawks are trying to build.
Johnson posted the best numbers of his career last season, averaging 22.5 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. He also had 13 triple-doubles a year ago, though he hasn’t gotten one yet this season.
Even with his scoring not matching last year’s level, his all-around playmaking has picked up. He leads the Hawks in points, rebounds, and assists.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been right there too. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year is averaging 19.6 points, giving Atlanta another steady source of offense.
Quinn Snyder’s group has been productive on that end overall. Atlanta enters with a top-five offense and ranks first in assists, while also keeping its turnover rate low.
The concern for the Hawks is on the glass. They sit in the bottom 10 in the NBA in rebounding, which could give Cleveland a real edge after outrebounding the Wizards by 20 in its last game.
Atlanta is 2-3 and comes in on a three-game losing streak after being beaten by Miami 129-117 yesterday.
Cleveland, meanwhile, has played a string of close games this season, and that’s why this one projects the same way. Over the last few seasons, the Cavaliers and Hawks have had plenty of tight finishes, and tonight looks like another one.
Donovan Mitchell was more of a supporting piece last night, so the expectation is that he takes on a bigger role tonight alongside Mobley, who is suddenly making noise in the three-point contest conversation.
There’s also a rookie matchup worth watching. Meleek Thomas will be going head-to-head with Kingston Flemings, the 8th overall pick, and there’s a chance Thomas sees him directly off the bench as he continues to show he was underrated in his class.
Cavaliers 117, Hawks 110.
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Cavaliers Keep Showing Why Early Deficits May Not Matter
Cleveland kept leaning on the same formula that has already carried it through the first week of the season: survive the rough patches, then take over when the game starts to tighten. The Cavaliers rallied from behind to beat the Wizards 121-111, extending their winning streak to three and getting to a 3-1 start, even after a shaky defensive opening half left them chasing the game.
Evan Mobley again gave Cleveland a steady presence inside and on the perimeter, finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while newcomer Peyton Watson added 22 points in a useful early-season spark. The bigger takeaway for the Cavaliers is that their early deficits have not become panic points, because once the second half arrives, the defensive edge and pace seem to follow. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Keep Finding A Way And One Breakout Stood Out Again
The Cavaliers kept the good run going with a third straight win, and the latest one again had the feel of a team getting contributions from all over the floor. Evan Mobley was at the center of it, giving Cleveland a big night inside and out while Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Jarrett Allen each supplied their own kind of support on both ends.
Mobleys growing comfort as a scoring threat has become one of the more encouraging signs in this stretch, especially when the Cavs need someone to steady things offensively without leaning on the same script every night. Peyton Watson also gave the game an early boost, and his scoring surge helped set the tone before Cleveland settled into the kind of balanced performance that has started to make its way into the teams recent wins. [Read more 🡒]
Evan Mobley Just Gave Cavs Fans A New Reason To Dream
Evan Mobley gave the Cavaliers plenty to feel good about in Fridays 121-111 comeback win over Washington, the kind of performance that can shift the mood around a team in a hurry. Cleveland trailed by double digits at halftime but found its footing after the break, riding a sharper collective effort and a big night from Mobley to make it three straight victories.
Mobley finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds while stretching the floor in a way Cavaliers fans have been waiting to see more often. The second half also brought timely help from Mario Hezonja and Meleek Thomas as Cleveland pulled even by the end of the third quarter and then closed it out late, leaving the bigger question hanging over what this version of the Cavs might look like once this kind of edge becomes the norm. [Read more 🡒]