Atlanta Hawks Game Preview: Third Tilt vs. Cavaliers
By Chris Guest
A preview of the Atlanta Hawks third contest of the season against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to State Farm Arena for the first time tonight, after the Atlanta Hawks strangely played twice in Cleveland over the course of the first 7 games of the season. NBA scheduling, am I right?
In the first game against the Cavaliers on October 21, Trae Young had perhaps the best game of his young career. Ice Trae dropped a cool 35 points and 11 assists in 37 minutes, leading the Hawks to a convincing 22-point victory over the Cavs to give Atlanta its first victory of the season.
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Young was an efficient 13 of 23 from the field for those points, though he did attempt 14 three-pointers. He was also a team-high +19 in on/off rating for the game.
Fast-forward to the second time these two teams met on October 30, and the script was flipped. It was the Hawks’ turn to get clobbered in that by 22 points, as the Cavs exacted revenge on Atlanta and notched their first victory of the season, 136 to 114.
In that game, George Hill, Sam Dekker and Kyle Korver combined for 32 points between them for the Cavs. Now, all three of those players are on different teams (Bucks, Wizards and Jazz, respectively), so it’s going to be all about Rodney Hood (who scored 26 in these two team’s second game of the season), Jordan Clarkson and most importantly Collin Sexton for Cleveland in this one.
Sexton started sluggishly for the Cavs, getting run off the floor by Trae in the first meeting between the two, but he bounced back for 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists in the second matchup between the two lottery-pick point guards.
Next. Trae Young Deserves Rookie of the Year Hype. dark
Tip-off for this game at Sate Farm Arena is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST.