CLEVELAND — In an impressive performance from start to finish, Darius Garland contributed 26 points and Evan Mobley recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, both following their recent selection as All-Star reserves. Their efforts propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to a commanding 137-115 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday evening.
Donovan Mitchell also made a significant impact for the Cavaliers, scoring 24 points, while Ty Jerome provided a strong offensive boost off the bench with 20 points. This win improved Cleveland’s record to 39-9, solidifying their position as the top team in the NBA and maintaining their status as the best home team in the league with a remarkable 23-3 record. Jarrett Allen contributed with nine points and an impressive 15 rebounds.
On the Hawks side, rookie Zaccharie Risacher, who was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, led the team with 30 points. De’Andre Hunter supported him with 25 points, executing a flawless performance at the free-throw line by sinking all 12 attempts. Unfortunately for Atlanta, this marked their seventh consecutive loss, setting a new season high.
Cleveland was able to establish a substantial lead, stretching it to 29 points as they secured a victory against the Hawks, whom they had previously faced and lost to in their earlier two meetings this season by a narrow margin of 27 points combined on November 27 and 29.
Key takeaways from the game included the absence of point guard Trae Young in the All-Star selections, despite his impressive season averages of 22.7 points and a league-leading 11.4 assists. However, Young’s performance in this game was below his standard as he managed to make only 5 of 16 shots, totaling 15 points alongside 10 assists.
The Cavaliers are riding a three-game winning streak, which followed a rough patch of three losses earlier in the season, largely driven by the outstanding performance of All-Star starter Mitchell, who accumulated a striking total of 79 points across 88 minutes during this stretch.
A crucial moment in the game came at the beginning of the third quarter when Garland executed a bank shot, followed by Max Strus who drained consecutive three-pointers within a brief 41-second span, pushing the Cavaliers’ lead to 88-69. Mitchell then increased the advantage to 90-70 with a layup, capping off a swift 10-1 run.
Statistically, this game marked the fourth occasion in franchise history that the Cavaliers featured three All-Stars: Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley. Additionally, head coach Kenny Atkinson and his coaching staff are set to partake in the upcoming mini-tournament, leading two of the four teams involved.
Looking ahead, the Hawks will be traveling to Detroit on Saturday, while the Cavaliers will continue their homestand, facing off against Dallas on Sunday.
