After getting upset at home by the Hawks on Wednesday the Cavs get an opportunity for some immediate payback Friday in Atlanta. Game time is 2:30 and it will be televised nationally on NBA-TV. The game will count towards the NBA Cup where the Hawks are 2-0 in Group C while the Cavs are 1-1.
Dean Wade is out and Caris LeVert is a game time decision. LeVert reportedly practiced at full speed on Wednesday. The Hawks have no significant injuries.
The Hawks are 4-5 at home. With De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic having recently returned from injury the Hawks are a lot deeper than they were previously. That showed up big time on Wednesday as Hunter and Boggy combined for 43 points off the bench on just 24 shots. They were 8-for-14 on 3’s.
The Hawks rank 28th in scoring defense, allowing 121 points per game. The Cavs scored 124 on Wednesday despite shooting just 15-for-48 on 3’s. Offense was not the problem.
The Cavs’ defense was a sieve. The Hawks came in averaging 115.6 ppg and torched the Cavs for 135, including 37 in the 4th quarter when the game was decided. The Hawks average just under 17 fast break points per game but had 28 against the Cavs, partly due to the Cavs’ 33 missed 3-point shots resulting in long rebounds and fast break opportunities.
However, the Hawks were also fast breaking after made baskets, grabbing the ball out of the net, leaping across the end line, and throwing baseball style passes to halfcourt to get the ball across the center line before the Cavs could fall back effectively. The Cavs should be better prepared for that the second time.
The bigger issue, however, was the 3-point shooting - for both teams. The Hawks average 12 made 3’s per game but made 20 against the Cavs, so those extra eight 3’s added 24 points. Meanwhile the Cavs average 19 made 3’s and made only 13 for deficit of 18 points. That’s a 42-point difference in favor of the Hawks on 3-point shots from what would be expected from these teams based on their averages. The Cavs lost by 11.
Obviously on Friday the Cavs need to play with more focus and intensity on defense. They tried to play a zone but the Hawks were ready and had no problem breaking it down by getting the ball to the free throw line for short jumpers in front of the rim or kickouts to the corners.
Trae Young set a career high in assists with 22 as he sliced and diced the Cavaliers at will. He also chipped in 20 points of his own.
The Hawks are 5th in points in the paint but 17th in points from 3’s. They reversed that against the Cavaliers, scoring 5 fewer points in the paint than normal but 27 more points on 3’s (if you include Boggy's three free throws when he was fouled on a 3). They also grabbed 14 offensive rebounds.
The Cavaliers will have a day to watch the film and make adjustments. Part of it was just great shooting by the Hawks; Hunter in particular was knocking down 3’s with a hand in his face. But the Cavs rank 29th in opponent 3-point percentage so this has been an area of extreme vulnerability and the Hawks exploited it.
This is the Cavaliers’ Achilles heel - their 3-point defense. In their only other loss this season the Celtics were 22-for-41 on 3’s. At their normal 3-point percentage of 37.5% the Celtics would have made 16, but those extra six made 3’s added 18 points over expected in a 3-point Cavs’ loss.
It appears the Cavs knew the Hawks rank last in defending 3’s; the Cavs kept firing away even though they were missing. The Cavs normally take 38 per game but Wednesday they put up 48. It will be interesting to see if the Cavs keep throwing up 3’s on Friday or if they decide to attack the rim more.
Mobley was very effective inside on Wednesday, going 7-for-15 and getting to the line 10 times. Jarrett Allen had 17 points on just 7 shots and got to the line 7 times. The Hawks are 5th best in defending the paint, but Mobley and Allen were efficient scoring inside. The Cavs might go inside more this time around.
Defensively the Cavs need a better solution for Young and Hunter, who burned the Cavs for 22 assists and 26 points, respectively. And Bogdanovic had 17 points on just 8 shots.
Better 3-point shooting will mean fewer fast break chances for the Hawks, but the Cavs still need to get back on defense better even after made baskets.
This is an NBA Cup game so there is money on the line if the Cavs can win and advance to the elimination round. But I’m sure the Cavs also want to make a point that the Hawks’ win in Cleveland was the result of a bad game by the Cavs and not something to be repeated.
Injury Report
CLEVELAND
Max Strus - OUT (ankle)
Emoni Bates - OUT (knee)
Dean Wade - OUT (ankle)
Caris LeVert - QUESTIONABLE (knee)
ATLANTA
Cody Zeller - OUT (personal)
Seth Lundy - OUT (ankle)
Trae Young - PROBABLE (achilles)