3rd Quarter Report
The Cavaliers are on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Hawks 93-70.
The Cavaliers entered the contest having won six straight and they’re just one quarter away from another. Will they make it seven, or will the Hawks step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.
Who’s Playing
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Atlanta Hawks
Current Records: Cleveland 24-15, Atlanta 18-23
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: State Farm Arena — Atlanta, Georgia
- TV: Bally Sports – Ohio
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $29.99
What to Know
The Cavaliers have enjoyed a six-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Atlanta Hawks at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at State Farm Arena. The Cavaliers are expected to win (but not by much) so they will need to come into the match prepared for a fight.
Winning is just a little bit easier when you work as a team to post 17 more assists than your opponent, a fact the Cavaliers proved on Wednesday. They steamrolled past Milwaukee 135-95 at home. That 40 points margin sets a new team best for the Cavaliers this season.
The Cavaliers’ success was spearheaded by the efforts of Georges Niang, who scored 33 points along with five rebounds, and Donovan Mitchell, who scored 31 points along with seven assists and five rebounds. The matchup was Mitchell’s third in a row with at least 30 points. Jarrett Allen was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Hawks waltzed into their contest Friday with two straight wins but they left with three. Not to be outdone by Miami, Atlanta got past Miami on a last-second jump shot courtesy of Dejounte Murray with 2 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland’s win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 24-15. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 121.0 points per game. As for Atlanta, their victory bumped their record up to 18-23.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Cavaliers haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 13.3 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like the Hawks struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 13.3 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Cavaliers were able to grind out a solid win over the Hawks in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, winning 127-119. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cavaliers since the squad won’t have the home-court advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Odds
Cleveland is a slight 2.5-point favorite against Atlanta, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Cavaliers as a 1.5-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 231 points.
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Series History
Atlanta has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Cleveland.
- Dec 16, 2023 – Cleveland 127 vs. Atlanta 119
- Nov 28, 2023 – Cleveland 128 vs. Atlanta 105
- Mar 28, 2023 – Atlanta 120 vs. Cleveland 118
- Feb 24, 2023 – Atlanta 136 vs. Cleveland 119
- Nov 21, 2022 – Cleveland 114 vs. Atlanta 102
- Apr 15, 2022 – Atlanta 107 vs. Cleveland 101
- Mar 31, 2022 – Atlanta 131 vs. Cleveland 107
- Feb 15, 2022 – Atlanta 124 vs. Cleveland 116
- Dec 31, 2021 – Atlanta 121 vs. Cleveland 118
- Oct 23, 2021 – Cleveland 101 vs. Atlanta 95
