Cavaliers Dropping Friday Night's Game Against Hawks Had Playoff Implications

The Cleveland Cavaliers are locked into the No. 4 seed for the upcoming NBA playoffs, but struggled Friday night against a team they could see in the first round.

Apr 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) controls the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Atlanta Hawks 124-102 in Atlanta on Friday night.

With the loss, the Cavaliers fell to 51-30 overall and 25-16 on the road.

The win for Atlanta secured the Hawks a playoff spot, and it is looking more likely that the Cavaliers and Hawks will meet in the first round as the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. 

Cavaliers Awaiting Final day of Regular Season to Learn First Round Opponent

Apr 6, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson looks on during the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers are locked into the No. 4 seed, but the Hawks could potentially fall to the No. 6 seed if they lose their final game and the Toronto Raptors win their final game, as the Raptors have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Hawks this season. 

The Cavaliers were shorthanded in their penultimate game of the season, as Donovan Mitchell missed the game with a right ankle injury and Jarrett Allen missed the game with a right knee injury. 

James Harden put together a productive game in the wake of both Mitchell and Allen sitting out, as he logged 20 points on the night and dished out five assists. 

Cavaliers Shot Poorly From Beyond the Arc

Apr 2, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward/guard Max Strus (2) scores a three point basket against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers had a somewhat woeful night form beyond the arc as they shot just 28 percent from three. Max Strus went 0-4 from range while Jaylon Tyson went 0-5.

Dean Wade struggled as well, logging just three points in his 17 minutes of playing time. While the Cavaliers do have the No. 4 seed wrapped up, Cavs fans would hope that the team would play with a bit more urgency against a team they could potentially see in the first-round of the NBA Playoffs.

Hawks put Game to bed With Third Quarter 16-0 Run

Apr 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Tyrese Proctor (24) shoots behind Atlanta Hawks center Tony Bradley (24) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers fell behind from the jump, as the Hawks took a 27-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. Atlanta would outscore Cleveland in the second quarter 34-26, before turning it on in the second half. With the Hawks leading 66-55 in the third, Atlanta put together a 16-0 run that would put the final result beyond any doubt. 

The Cavaliers allowed multiple Hawks players to get hot from the floor, including Dyson Daniels, who finished the game with 13 points and 12 assists.

The Cavaliers will finish their regular season home in Cleveland against the Washington Wizards on Sunday at 6:00 P.M. The game can be watched on FanDuel Sports Network Ohio.