Top Takeaways From Cleveland Cavaliers' Loss to Atlanta Hawks

81 down, one to go.

The Cleveland Cavaliers continued a sneak preview of a potential 1st-round matchup with a 124-102 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

James Harden used an up-and-down scoring night to lead the Cavs with 20 points. Guard CJ McCollum, whom the Hawks acquired in a mid-season trade with the Washington Wizards, responded with a game-high 29 points on an efficient night from the floor.

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

Pick Your (Playoff) Poison

While the Friday bout didn't change Cleveland's first-round fate much, what happens after it most certainly will.

Cleveland is comfortably locked into the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference, even with the Friday-night loss. It sits two games behind the New York Knicks and five games ahead of the Hawks, who locked their own postseason berth and a spot atop the Southeast Division following the win. The Hawks will take on the Miami Heat, who the Cavs went 1-1 against in a March home series, in their final regular-season bout.

An all-important Sunday slate will determine whether the Cavs face the Hawks, who they hold a 2-2 record against this season, and the Toronto Raptors, who swept the regular-season series against Cleveland with a trio of fall victories. What looked like a tale of two teams between Wednesday and Friday led to a 1-1 split in the Cavs' final two games against the Hawks.

The Cavs were without at least one of their starters in every one of their losses to Toronto and have since added a few key contributors, but still have had slow outings while at least one of the Raptors' stars shone in their three regular-season bouts against Cleveland's Canadian counterparts.

The Youth Movement Shows Promise

Though Cleveland's stars took center stage in its Wednesday win over the Hawks, its younger options had their moments to shine by the time the Cavs started to reach further down the bench in the fourth quarter on Friday.

Guard Tyrese Proctor, who has logged time in 49 games this season, flashed the scoring and shooting that made him a decent option to watch in the preseason. Jaylon Tyson, an on-and-off starter who underwent a giant leap from his rookie year, drove and shimmied his way to 15 points in what would be his 41st start of the season.

The former Cal wing added three steals and two blocks as he took some time as an all-around anchor on defense. Tristan Enaruna, a former Cleveland State standout who has played sparingly for the Cavs this year, found ways to get things going with off-ball cuts and in the pick-and-roll.

The Cavs will wrap up their regular-season campaign with a bout against the Wizards at 6 p.m. EDT on Sunday in Rocket Arena. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network - Ohio.