Cleveland Cavaliers Beat Atlanta Hawks 105-99

The Atlanta Hawks are 2-1 in the NBA preseason after playing the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Summary

Travel caught up with the Atlanta Hawks during their third preseason game. After picking up two wins in Abu Dhabi, the Hawks had heavy legs against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After getting in the zone last game, Trae Young struggled to find his rhythm tonight. The All-NBA point guard shot 3-17 for 14 points and six assists. His backcourt mate, Dejounte Murray, did not fare much better. Murray went 7-19 for 17 points.

While inefficient, the Cavaliers' backcourt, led by Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, combined for 47 points. There was plenty of shooting woes all around tonight.

That is except for Hawks' forward John Collins and rookie AJ Griffin. Both hit 3-5 from deep, which helped the Hawks mount a comeback before letting the game slip away in the fourth quarter.

JC has 10 in the quarter and hasn't missed 🔥 pic.twitter.com/N5ONjaA0RP

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 13, 2022

Hawks fans got to see Jalen Johnson, Trent Forrest, and Vit Krejci play for the first time this preseason. Johnson grabbed 11 rebounds in 22 minutes of action. It was certainly a welcoming sight for those worried about the backup power forward spot.

Tonight's 105-99 loss was not the outcome fans wanted. However, it was not surprising, given the jetlag the team is experiencing after their trip around the world earlier this week.

The only possible cause for concern tonight is Clint Capela. The starting center grabbed 15 rebounds in 23 minutes but exited the game early with a strained right thumb. 

Capela's health will be something to watch for when the Hawks wrap up their preseason against the New Orleans Pelicans in Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday night. There was no pregame or postgame media availability tonight, so stay locked into AllHawks.com for all your Atlanta Hawks news.

Stats

Hawks Leaders

Dejounte Murray - 17 PTS, 4 REB

John Collins - 15 PTS, 7 REB

De'Andre Hunter - 12 PTS, 5 REB

Cavaliers Leaders

Donovan Mitchell - 24 PTS, 8 REB

Darius Garland - 23 PTS, 12 AST

Isaac Okoro - 16 PTS, 3 STL

Recommended For You

Trae Young Explains What It's Like To Be In The Zone

Jae Crowder Interested in Playing for Hawks

Atlanta Hawks Mascot Makes Bank