Cavaliers Defeat Atlanta Hawks in Potential First-Round Playoff Preview

The Cleveland Cavaliers collected their fourth win in a row and their seventh out of their last eight outings as they held off the Hawks 122-116.

Apr 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles defended by Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) in the third quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 122-116 last night at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland to pick up their fourth straight win. With the win the Cavaliers improved to 51-29 and 26-14 at home.

The Cavaliers still hold the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and are 1.5 games behind the third-place New York Knicks with two games left to play. While Cavaliers fans maybe hoped for better than the four seed in the postseason, they can be comforted by the fact that the Cavs can finish no lower than fourth. 

 The Cavaliers do not play the Knicks again in their remaining two games, meaning it will most likely be the No. 4 seed for the Cavaliers in the postseason.

Cavaliers Stars Continue to Log Great Statistics

Apr 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) dribbles defended by Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers got production from their stars to win their seventh game in their last eight outings. James Harden logged 21 points and Donovan Mitchell had a great game as he logged 31.

Evan Mobley showed signs of what Cavaliers fans can expect from him in the playoffs as he logged 22 points and an astonishing 19 rebounds. The Cavaliers would end up out-rebounding the Hawks 47-43.

The Cavaliers took a 33-29 lead at the end of the first quarter, but not only allowed the Hawks to grow into the game, but also take a 67-60 halftime lead thanks to Atlanta outscoring Cleveland 38-27 in the second quarter. The Cavaliers bounced back with a dominant 44-20 third quarter over the Hawks. Atlanta put together an 18-2 run in the fourth quarter that threw doubt into the final result, but Jarrett Allen recorded a steal in the final moments that would seal the game.

Cavaliers-Hawks Could be Potential First-Round Playoff Matchup

Apr 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) defends a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers win over the Hawks should excite Cavs fans. The Cavaliers and Hawks have a very real possibility of facing off against one another in the first-round of the NBA Playoffs, and if thats the case, the Cavaliers would have home court. The Hawks will ironically need a win over the Cavaliers on Friday if the two teams are to meet in the playoffs, as the Hawks currently sit just half a game ahead of the sixth-place Toronto Raptors.

Cavaliers set to Face off With Hawks Once Again

The Cavaliers will now have an off-day to travel to Atlanta, where they will face the Hawks once again. The Cavaliers will finish their season this Sunday in the Rocket Arena against the Washington Wizards. The season finale can be seen on FanDuel Sports Network Ohio.