After two days off, the Atlanta Hawks are back in action today against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the preseason favorite to win the Eastern Conference. The Hawks and the Cavs have matched up one time already this season, with Cleveland getting the win at home.
For the Hawks, they are going to look to get a big home win and get back on track after being blown out on the road by the Washington Wizards. It was the worst performance of the year for the Hawks, but was it just one game or something deeper than that?
Looking at the numbers
Nov 25, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
In previewing the game today, our own Rohan Raman took a deeper look at the Hawks advanced numbers ahead of tonight’s game:
“The Hawks’ offense against the Wizards wasn’t representative of their usual form. They’re 17th in points, 6th in FG%, 10th in 3P%, 18th in FT%, 25th in rebounds (25th in OREB), 1st in assists and 13th in turnovers per game. They’re 16th in offensive rating on the year, so the advanced metrics support the idea that they’ll be able to match up with most teams on that end.
Atlanta’s defense was completely lost against the Wizards and their overall solid numbers are going to take a hit after their poor performance. On a per-game basis, the Hawks rank 15th in points allowed, 13th in FG% allowed, 8th in 3P% allowed, 22nd in rebounds allowed, 8th in steals and 7th in blocks. They’re 14th in defensive rating on the year, which puts them in an above-average tier.
Donovan Mitchell’s incredible season is largely propping up the Cavaliers’ offense. They’re 11th in points, 20th in FG%, 22nd in 3P%, 26th in FT%, 20th in rebounds (13th in OREB), 10th in assists and 8th in turnovers per game. When Mitchell is on, the Cavaliers can make up almost any deficit. When he isn’t, the offense looks a lot like the toothless unit that couldn’t break 100 points against the Raptors in their most recent game.
Both Jarrett Allen and DeAndre Hunter will be back for the Cavaliers tonight, so the Hawks are essentially facing Cleveland’s defense at full strength. They’ve had some lapses on that end, but they’re still 13th in points allowed, 11th in FG% allowed, 18th in 3P% allowed, 23rd in rebounds allowed, 10th in steals and 4th in blocks. It’ll be a good test of Atlanta’s ability to respond from an off night if they’re able to give Cleveland’s defense problems.”
While I think the game on Tuesday night is not representative of what kind of team the Hawks are, it is going to be tough to score on this Cleveland defense without Trae Young. This is going to be one of the games where they miss him the most. The defense has to be better for the Hawks to have any kind of chance to win the game and while I think it will be, they are not going to be able to score enough on offense. Cavs win a tough battle.
Final Score: Cavs 116, Hawks 108
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