What To Expect In Tonight’s Atlanta Hawks-Cleveland Cavaliers Matchup

The Cleveland Cavaliers most recently defeated the Toronto Raptors in a 105-102 comeback victory this past Sunday night.

Tonight, the Cavaliers will host the Atlanta Hawks in their final NBA In-Season Tournament group stage game of the season.

Here are four things to expect in tonight’s matchup.

1. Mitchell Bouncing Back

Over Cleveland’s last two games, Donovan Mitchell has shot just 8-for-35 (22.9%) from the field and 2-for-11 (18.2%) from three-point range, while averaging just 16.0 points per game.

He had missed the previous four games before these two with a right hamstring strain, and should get into his usual groove soon.

2. Cavaliers Sharing the Ball

The Cavaliers rank 20th in the NBA with 25.4 assists per game.

However, in their last five contests, the Wine and Gold are averaging 29.4 assists per game, including a season-high 33 assists in their last NBA In-Season Tournament game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

3. Backcourt Duo Showdown

Tonight’s matchup will feature two of the premier backcourt duos in the NBA: Atlanta’s Trae Young and Dejounte Murray against Cleveland’s Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.

Young and Murray are averaging a combined 46.5 points and 16.1 assists per game, while Mitchell and Garland are averaging a combined 46.4 points and 11.0 assists per contest.

4. A Powerful Hawks Offense

The Hawks rank second in the NBA with an average of 123.6 points per game.

They also rank top-10 in the league in field-goal percentage (48.0%, eighth), three-point percentage (37.3%, eighth), free-throw percentage (82.3%, fifth), and offensive rebounds per game (13.2, fourth).