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Trae Young drives past a Cavaliers defender.

Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers Play-In Preview

The Hawks face the Cavaliers in Play-In Tournament Finals.
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Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers

Hawks at Cavs Scouting Report

Preview

Feb 15, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) makes a move against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena.

After a raucous opening night victory against the Dallas Mavericks on October 21, the Atlanta Hawks were met with a reality check in Cleveland two days later. The Cavaliers handed the Hawks their first loss of the season by a score of 101-95.

The Hawks won the next three contests against the Cavaliers, but the second game of the season is what sticks in my mind. It started a trend of losing on the road and following up big victories with disappointing losses. On Wednesday night, the Hawks had one of their best games of the season in front of a crazed State Farm Arena crowd. How will they follow that performance up in Cleveland?

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers expectedly lost to the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the Play-In Tournament. It was the Cavaliers' ninth loss in 13 games. However, the calvary is on the way. All-Star center Jarrett Allen hasn't played since fracturing his finger on March 6 but could be back tonight (more on that below). 

To make matters worse for the Hawks, they're still without John Collins. But they do have Trae Young. 'Ice Trae' has proven capable of winning games as a scorer, facilitator, or both. Heck, he could probably win a game as the starting center a la Magic Johnson in the 1980 NBA Finals if he put his mind to it.

Injury Report

Dec 31, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) celebrates after a dunk during the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

The Cavaliers injury report lists Jarrett Allen (finger) as questionable. Dean Wade (right knee) and Collin Sexton (knee) are out. The Hawks injury report lists Bogdan Bogdanovic (left ankle sprain) as questionable. John Collins (right ring finger sprain/right foot strain) and Lou Williams (low back discomfort) are out.

Odds

Feb 15, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) during the second quarter at State Farm Arena.

SI Sportsbook lists the Hawks as 1.5-point favorites and the over/under is set at 222.5 points. The Hawks have been rolling while the Cavaliers have taken on water over the past month. Even without John Collins, I stand by my original prediction that the Hawks win tonight and advance to the Playoffs.

Uniforms

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Thanks to NBA LockerVision, we know what each team will be wearing so you can plan your gear accordingly. The Hawks will wear their Association Edition (white) uniforms, while the Cavaliers wear their City Edition (wine) uniforms.

Television, Streaming

Mar 31, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) is defended by Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) in the second quarter at State Farm Arena.

National Broadcast: ESPN @ 7:30PM (Eastern)

Live Stream: Click here for fuboTV free trial!

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