De’Andre Hunter led the Atlanta Hawks with 23 points off the bench, helping them secure a 117-101 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday in NBA Cup play.
Trae Young added 21 points and 11 assists for the Hawks, who won against Cleveland for the second consecutive game. Jalen Johnson contributed 20 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while Onyeka Okongwu had 15 points and seven rebounds. Zaccharie Risacher scored 11 points, and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 10 points. Clint Capela finished with eight points and a team-high 13 rebounds.
Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 29 points, while Evan Mobley contributed 24 points and 12 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell also had 12 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, but struggled with his shooting, making just 5 of 23 attempts. The Cavaliers have now lost three of their last five games after starting the season 15-0.
The Hawks led 52-50 at halftime, then extended their lead to 12 points in the third quarter, their largest of the game, after back-to-back baskets by Capela and Johnson. With 2:06 left in the third, Mobley’s free throws cut the Cavaliers’ deficit to 82-71, but the Hawks responded with a 9-0 run, including three baskets from Okongwu, making the score 91-71.
Young’s fadeaway 3-pointer with 6:04 left in the game put the Hawks ahead 104-86, but Cleveland went on a 6-0 run, prompting a timeout from the Hawks at the 4:53 mark. Mobley’s dunk made it 107-96, but a clutch 3-pointer by Dyson Daniels with 2:56 left sealed the win for Atlanta.
The Hawks struggled early, turning the ball over five times in the first four minutes, which allowed Cleveland to take a 16-8 lead. However, Atlanta responded with a 21-11 run to finish the first quarter, with Johnson’s three-pointer giving the Hawks a 29-27 lead.
After Mobley’s dunk cut the Cavaliers’ deficit to 41-38, Hunter hit a 3-pointer, and Johnson had a fast-break dunk to force a Cleveland timeout with 3:03 left in the half. Young’s floater extended the lead to 10 before Mitchell’s 3-pointer broke his cold shooting streak. Mitchell then hit another triple, and Garland’s back-to-back 3-pointers brought Cleveland within two at halftime.
