Cavaliers Now

De'Andre Hunter Leads Hawks Over Hornets in NBA Play-In Tournament

Hunter scored 22 points, including 16 in the third quarter, to keep Atlanta's season alive

Matt Newton

In a do-or-die elimination game, De'Andre Hunter came up big for the Atlanta Hawks. Hunter scored 22 points to help keep Atlanta's season alive as the Hawks defeated the Charlotte Hornets 132-103 on Wednesday night in the NBA Play-In Tournament. 

After a slow first half in which he went just 1/6 from the floor and scored only three points, Hunter exploded in the third quarter for 16 points on 7/8 shooting. He also played smothering defense on the Hornets, holding them to 1/4 shooting in the period when he was the primary defender. 

Atlanta led by just eight points at halftime, but outscored the Hornets by 18 in the third quarter thanks to Hunter's strong performance. The Hawks cruised to a near-30 point victory in the fourth quarter. 

The former UVA men's basketball star finished with an impressive stat line of 22 points on 9/16 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, and a +/- of +23. 

The Hawks move on to play at the No. 8 seed Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday at 7:30pm with a berth in the NBA Playoffs on the line. The winner will advance to play the No. 1 seed Miami Heat in the first round. 

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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