Cavaliers Can’t Close Door On Another Comeback, Fall To Hawks

After erasing a 21-point third-quarter deficit, Cleveland scored just 12 points in the fourth quarter in its loss to Atlanta.

This past Tuesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a 22-point fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Boston Celtics in dramatic fashion.

One week earlier, the Wine and Gold came back from 10 points down in the final quarter to defeat the Dallas Mavericks.

But on Wednesday night, despite overcoming a 21-point third-quarter deficit, the Cavaliers fell to the Atlanta Hawks by a score of 112-101.

When the Hawks took a 73-52 lead with 9:17 remaining in the third period, Cleveland once again refused to back down.

The Wine and Gold outscored Atlanta 37-14 over the rest of the quarter.

Jarrett Allen scored a team-high 10 points in this span, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-3 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds and dished out an assist.

Mar 6, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) handles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at State Farm Arena / © Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Isaac Okoro also recorded nine of his 17 points and an assist during this stretch, while Caris LeVert totaled seven points and four assists in this span as well.

However, things quickly changed in the fourth quarter.

After the Cavaliers scored 40 points on 70% shooting from the field in the previous period, Cleveland’s offense went cold. The Wine and Gold shot just 6-for-22 (27.3%) from the field in the final quarter, including 0-for-11 from three-point range. 

According to Stathead, the team’s 12 points in the period were tied for its fewest in a quarter this season. The Cavaliers also scored 12 points in the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers back on October 28.

Defensively, Cleveland allowed Atlanta to shoot 52.9% from the field en route to 25 points in the final quarter.

Up next, the Wine and Gold will begin a three-game homestand when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.