How To Watch Hawks At Cavaliers Play-In Game On Friday Night
There is just one spot left in the Eastern Conference Playoffs and on Friday night, the Atlanta Hawks will go on the road to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 8-seed in the conference.
In a “winner takes all” matchup, one team will continue their journey into the playoffs while the other will be sent packing earlier than they had hoped for, turning their attention to the 2022-23 season.
A lot is on the line heading into Friday night’s Play-In Game between the Hawks and Cavaliers and both teams are deserving of the 8-seed in the East.
Atlanta has been a very up-and-down team all season long, but Trae Young has been one of the best talents in the league and the Hawks’ overall depth is starting to find their rhythm.
Defeating the Charlotte Hornets by 29 points in the 9-seed versus 10-seed Play-In Game, the Hawks enter this matchup against the Cavaliers playing some of the best basketball they have played all year long.
As for Cleveland, they suffered a disappointing loss to the Brooklyn Nets in the 7-seed versus 8-seed Play-In Game, but overcoming adversity has been the story of the Cavaliers’ season to this point.
Whether it has been injuries or suffering a big loss, Cleveland has always bounced back in a big way, so it will be very interesting to see if this young, inexperienced team has what it takes to defeat Atlanta, a team that made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
Will Cleveland win on their home court and advance to the playoffs for the first-time since 2018 or will Atlanta get back to the playoffs and be a dangerous lower seeded team once again?
Here's how to watch Friday’s game, with gametimes and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Hawks vs. Cavaliers
- WHO: Atlanta Hawks (43-39) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (44-38)
- WHAT: Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament: 8-seed Game
- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday, April 15
- WHERE: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, Ohio
- TV: ESPN
- Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
Key Stats & Facts For Hawks vs. Cavaliers
- The Hawks and Cavaliers faced off four times during the regular season, Atlanta winning three of the four games played and outscoring Cleveland by an average of 7.3 points.
- The Cavaliers finished the regular season ranking fifth in points allowed per game (105.7), while the Hawks finished the regular season ranking sixth in points per game (113.9).
- Cleveland is 25-16 at home this season, compared to Atlanta being 16-25 on the road.
- Darius Garland has averaged 25.0 points, 7.2 assists and has shot 51.4% from three-point range over his last six games, including the Cavaliers’ recent Play-In Game against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.
Last Matchup:
March 31, 2022 - Hawks 131, Cavaliers 107
In their final meeting of the regular season, Atlanta ran away with a 24-point victory in Cleveland. Without both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, the Cavaliers held their own on the glass, only getting outrebounded 48-47 by the Hawks, but Atlanta shot 17-39 (43.6%) from three-point range and made 10 more three-pointers than the Cavaliers. Trae Young led the way for Atlanta with 30 points and 9 assists.
Hawks-Cavaliers Most Recent Games:
- Hawks last game: Coming off their 29-point victory in their Play-In Game against the Charlotte Hornets, the Atlanta Hawks offense is clicking on all cylinders. The Hawks have now scored at least 130 points in back-to-back games and in Wednesday night’s win over the Hornets, Atlanta shot 16-32 (50.0%) from three-point range.
- Cavaliers last game: Falling 115-108 on the road to the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference’s Play-In Game for the 7-seed, the Cavaliers struggled to get consistent production on offense. Outside of Darius Garland, Cleveland’s starters shot 18-42 (42.9%), but they went just 2-9 (22.2%) from three-point range. However, the Cavaliers did outscore the Nets 65-58 in the second-half.
Latest Injury News:
Hawks: John Collins (finger/foot) - OUT, Lou Williams (back) - OUT, Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Cavaliers: Collin Sexton (knee) - OUT, Dean Wade (knee) - OUT, Jarrett Allen (finger) - QUESTIONABLE
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED HAWKS STARTERS:
- G Trae Young, 6-2 guard: 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists
- G Kevin Huerter, 6-2 guard: 15.0 points, 3.6 assists
- F De’Andre Hunter, 6-4 guard/forward: 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds
- F Danilo Gallinari, 6-10 forward: 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists
- C Clint Capela, 6-10 center: 7.9 points, 9.3 rebounds
PROJECTED CAVALIERS STARTERS:
- G Darius Garland, 6-1 guard: 21.7 points, 8.6 assists
- G/F Caris LeVert, 6-6 guard/forward: 17.0 points, 4.3 assists
- F Lauri Markkanen, 7-0 forward: 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds
- F/C Evan Mobley, 7-0 forward/center: 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds
- C Jarrett Allen (Q), 6-11 center: 16.1 points, 10.8 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The Hawks opened up as a 2-point favorite against the Cavaliers on Wednesday night and the odds have since drifted to -1.5 in favor of Atlanta.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 223 points.
What to watch for:
- The winner of this game will claim the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs and draw a first-round matchup with the 1-seeded Miami Heat.
- Bogdan Bogdanovic has been a difference maker off-the-bench for Atlanta, scoring in double figures in eight of his last nine games, including five straight games.
- Atlanta has made at least 15 three-pointers in six of their last nine games.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers have not made the playoffs since 2018 when they lost in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors.
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