04/08/26 08:57:00
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04/08 20:55 CDT Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley help Cavaliers hold off Hawks
122-116
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley help Cavaliers hold off Hawks 122-116
By JOE REEDY
AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) --- Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points, Evan Mobley had 22 points
and tied a career high with 19 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated
the Atlanta Hawks 122-116 on Wednesday night.
James Harden added 21 points for the Cavaliers, who have won four straight and
seven of eight. Cleveland (51-29) can finish no lower than fourth place in the
Eastern Conference and is 1/2 game behind New York for the third seed.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 25 points and Jonathan Kuminga had 24 off the
bench as Atlanta was unable to clinch a playoff berth with the loss. The Hawks
(45-35) have dropped their last two after winning four straight. They are one
game ahead of Toronto for the fifth seed but only 1 1/2 in front of Orlando to
avoid being in the play-in tournament.
It was Mitchell's 200th regular-season game with at least 20 points in four
years with the Cavaliers. He is the fifth player in franchise history to reach
that milestone.
Mitchell had his 14th game this season with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Atlanta took a 67-56 lead on a dunk by Dyson Daniels with 57 seconds remaining
in the first half before Cleveland went on a 17-3 run over the final minute of
the second quarter and first three minutes of the third.
Cleveland outscored Atlanta 44-20 in the third to take a 104-87 advantage into
the final 12 minutes. A 3-point play by Dennis Schroder put the Cavaliers up
110-92 before the Hawks answered back with an 18-2 run where Alexander-Walker
had seven points.
Kuminga's dunk got Atlanta within 118-116 and had a chance to tie after Sam
Merrill missed a 3-pointer. But Alexander-Walker lost possession of the ball in
the paint before Jarrett Allen got the steal. Mitchell then made a pair of free
throws to put the Cavaliers up by more than one possession.
Up next
The two teams meet Friday in Atlanta for the fourth and final time in the
regular season.
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