Final Picks and Predictions For Tonight's Hawks-Cavaliers Matchup

Three games remain in the Atlanta Hawks' regular season, and there is a lot at stake in their matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight. With a win, the Hawks would clinch a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference and a playoff spot for the first time since 2021, a year in which they made the conference finals.

It won't be easy to do so however. They have a road game against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and one that is pretty healthy coming into this game. Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, and Dean Wade are questionable, but James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are going to be able to go for this game, a potential first round playoff preview.

This is going to be the first time that the two teams have played each other in their current forms. The last time they played was on Black Friday in November, a Hawks victory. Since then, Cleveland has added James Harden, former Hawk Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis. Atlanta has CJ McCollum, Jonathan Kuminga, and Gabe Vincent.

So who wins?

A question for the Hawks until (or if) Jock Landale comes back is how the Hawks are going to manage their backup center rotation. They recently signed Tony Bradley, but he did not play well in his first stint on Monday vs the Knicks and then there is Mouhamed Gueye, a solid player in his own right, but not someone the Hawks view as a center. Cleveland does not have the depth at center that New York does, but how Atlanta handles this situation until Landale comes back is going to be crucial for their postseason hopes.

The Hawks halfcourt offense is a bit of a question mark heading into the playoffs and it showed up in Monday's loss to the Knicks. Aside from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the Hawks struggled shooting non-three-pointers and missed several shots they normally make. For a team with Evan Mobley, the reigning defensive player of the year, the Cavs are not imposing on that end of the court.

Jalen Johnson is coming off his 48th double-double of the season, the third-most in the NBA, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and one steal in 41 minutes of play. The first-time All-Star, Eastern Conference Player of the Month in March, and two-time Eastern Conference Player of the Week, has recorded 27 games this season with 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists, the second-most amongst all players in the league, the most amongst all Eastern Conference players, and the most in a single season in franchise history.

Johnson, who ranks fifth in assists per game (8.0), seventh in rebounds per game (10.3), and 18th in points per game (22.7), is on pace to be the first player in franchise history to rank top-20 in all three categories.

Dyson Daniels notched 11 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals on 4/6, marking his 14th double-double of the season. Daniels secured his 500th rebound of the season in the game, becoming just the second Hawks guard in franchise history to grab 500+ rebounds in a single season, joining Lou Hudson in 1968-69.

While Harden and Mitchell are a tough duo to cover, there are not many teams with the perimeter defenders like Daniels and Alexander-Walker to help defend them both

The Hawks have more on the line tonight and I think they are play like it. Jalen Johnson records a triple double and Atlanta punches their ticket to the postseason.

Final Score: Hawks 118, Cavaliers 113