Atlanta Hawks vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Game Preview, Injury Report, Starting Lineups for Tonight's Matchup

There are only three games in the season left for the Atlanta Hawks to clinch a playoff berth outright and they're in an excellent position to do it.

The Hawks are currently in the No. 5 seed, and they should be able to hold onto that spot if they take care of business in two out of the three remaining games in their upcoming schedule. They are 1.5 games ahead of the Raptors and Atlanta also has a favorable tiebreaker over the 76ers, who are one of three teams vying for the No. 5 or No. 6 seed. Realistically, the Hawks are probably going to stick at the No. 5 seed and draw an intriguing matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers or New York Knicks in the first round.

Both the Knicks and Cavaliers have already clinched top-four seeds and the Cavaliers have a seven-game lead over the Hawks for the No. 4 seed. The most likely scenario is Cleveland clinching the No. 4 seed and drawing Atlanta in the No. 4 vs No. 5 matchup in the first round.

If they do end up facing the Cavaliers, the next two games are a good opportunity for the Hawks to feel their opponent out. Cleveland might not play their full lineup, and neither team will tip too much of their hand, but it's experience nonetheless against a team Atlanta is very likely to see again.

By the Numbers

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Dyson Daniels, Daniels, Cavaliers, Cleveland Cavalier — Nov 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) shoots the ball against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) during the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Even though the Knicks narrowly pulled out a win against them, the offense wasn't really a massive problem for the Hawks, and they did a good job of challenging New York's perimeter defense. They are 6th in points, 13th in FG%, 5th in 3P%, 17th in FT%, 17th in rebounds (20th in OREB, 13th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 11th in turnovers per game. They're 14th in offensive rating this year.

Although they struggled against Karl-Anthony Towns, the defense did a good job against New York. They're 17th in points allowed, 18th in FG% allowed, 11th in 3P% allowed, 22nd in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 17th in blocks. They're 9th in defensive rating this year.

The Cavaliers are still a very productive offense due to the synergy between James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. They are 4th in points, 7th in FG%, 12th in 3P%, 20th in FT%, 12th in rebounds (12th in OREB, 12th in DREB), 8th in assists, and 9th in turnovers per game. They're 6th in offensive rating this year.

Evan Mobley has a DPOY on his resume, and Jarrett Allen is still a good rim protector, but the Cavs' defense hasn't been as imposing as its reputation would suggest. They are 15th in points allowed, 8th in FG% allowed, 26th in 3P% allowed, 12th in rebounds allowed, 15th in steals, and 13th in blocks. They're 16th in defensive rating this year.

Three Reasons The Hawks Can Win This Game

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Gueye, Mo Gueye, Cavaliers, Cleveland Cavalier — Nov 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) looks to pass the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Mo Gueye was a big problem guarding KAT in the Hawks' last game, but it should be an easier matchup tonight against the non-shooting duo of Mobley and Allen. Neither are particularly great shooters. Even though Mobley shot above 37% from deep for two seasons in a row prior to 2025-26, he did that on limited volume and he's down to 30.1% this year on the same volume. Towns is arguably the best big man shooter of all time, so Gueye has to chase him on the perimeter and also deal with the rebounding threat Towns brings. That isn't really the case against Cleveland. They've been a very mediocre rebounding team this season and Gueye should be able to give the Hawks more of a positive impact since he doesn't have to juggle two very difficult responsibilities.

One of the most interesting matchups in this game could very decide its outcome. Dyson Daniels has cemented himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, but he'll have his hands full against James Harden. The new Cleveland point guard has done a decent job as a scorer against Daniels for his career - he averages 15.5 points and 8.6 assists (per 75 minutes) on 66.2 TS%. However, Daniels has been able to force Harden into turnovers and this team capitalizes on turnovers like few do. Harden averages six turnovers per 75 minutes over the past two seasons facing Daniels and the Hawks rank 1st in points off of steals. That could be an edge in this matchup that plays in Atlanta's favor.

Donovan Mitchell has had a season worthy of an All-NBA selection, but it's possible that the Hawks might be able to go toe-to-toe with him given how good Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been as of late. NAW is coming off a 36-point performance against the Knicks where he sank seven threes and finished with a TS% of 84.9%. In his last ten games, he's averaging 23.8 points, 4 assists and 3.5 rebounds on an impressive 71.1 TS%. He's peaking at the right time for the Hawks and it would be massive for Atlanta's chances if this carries over into the playoffs.

Three Reasons The Hawks Might Lose This Game

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Mobley, Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cavalier — Nov 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) looks for the shot against Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

It hasn't been a banner season for Evan Mobley, but he was fantastic against the Hawks during his last game against them. Mobley took over the role of secondary playmaker behind Donovan Mitchell and dished out seven assists while also scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. He's going to be a tough player for the Hawks to slow down because of his aggressiveness when driving toward the rim and the rim protection he provides as one of the best defensive centers in the NBA.

The Hawks aren't going to be able to shut down Donovan Mitchell, but they have to do a better job of staying with him on the perimeter than they did in November. Mitchell scored 42 points in his last game against Atlanta and he's having arguably the best season of his career. The Cavaliers are nearly six points better per 100 possessions with him on the court and he's shooting a ridiculous 52% on midrange attempts this season, which ranks in the 90th percentile. The Hawks have been thoroughly mediocre at stifling midrange shots this season, so there's a decent chance Mitchell goes for a repeat performance tonight if he suits up.

It hasn't been perfect, but the guard duo of Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder has made a difference in relief of Harden/Mitchell. Ellis has been a defensive playmaker (94th percentile in BLK%, 85th percentile in STL%) and he's averaged a career-high 8.7 points per game on 64 TS%. Schroder is fairly ball-dominant, but he can still lead bench lineups and take some miles off either Harden or Mitchell. The Cavs' half-court offense has been much better with Schroeder on the floor - they're three points better per 100 possessions (76th percentile) in his minutes as a half-court offense.

Injuries

Atlanta Hawks: Jock Landale has been ruled out.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade and Donovan Mitchell are questionable while Thomas Bryant is out.

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH

Where to Watch: ESPN

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks

G - CJ McCollum

G - Nickeil Alexander-Walker

F - Dyson Daniels

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Cavaliers

G - Donovan Mitchell

G - James Harden

F - Max Strus

F - Evan Mobley

C - Jarrett Allen