For the first time since Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Cavaliers dropped a game – as Atlanta snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Wine and Gold, fighting off Cleveland’s furious late-game rally and hanging on for the 110-106 on Tuesday night at The Q.
The defeat marks Cleveland’s first loss of the season after rattling off six straight wins. But the Cavs definitely made the Hawks work for it.
Trailing by 15 points early in the fourth and by nine with 2:23 to play, the Wine and Gold – led by Kyrie Irving, who scored 11 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter – wouldn’t relent.
Kevin Love’s three-point play with 25 seconds to play cut Atlanta’s lead to just two, 108-106. But Kent Bazemore canned a long-jumper with six seconds to play on the Hawks’ final possession and Kyrie couldn’t squeeze off a three-pointer on the other end as the Cavaliers dropped their first game of the year.
As they’ve done all season, Cleveland’s Big Three excelled again on Tuesday night.
Coming off his first game of less than 20 points all season – and first since Game 2 of the 2016 Finals – on Saturday night in Philly, Kyrie returned with a vengeance against Atlanta, going 11-for-27 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the stripe, adding four assists and a block.
Irving did have his hands full with the Hawks’ new starter at the point – Dennis Schroder – who went off for 28 points on 10-for-16 shooting, including 3-of-6 from long-range. Another big piece of the new-look Hawks – center Dwight Howard – led all rebounder with 17 boards.
Kevin Love led the Cavaliers with 12 boards to go with 24 points – his second straight double-double and fourth straight outing with at least 20 points. The three-time All-Star went 7-for-17 from the floor, adding three helpers and a pair of steals.
LeBron James added 23 points to go with nine boards, five assists and three steals in the loss. James finished 8-of-17 from the floor, including 2-of-5 from long-range.
Overall, the Cavaliers – who came into the contest leading the NBA with 80 treys as well as 13.3 made threes per game – couldn’t get untracked from beyond the arc. On the night, Cleveland was just 11-of-42 from deep – with Love, Irving and J.R. Smith combining to go just 3-for-21 from home run range.
Channing Frye was one of the Cavaliers who did shoot the deep-ball pretty well – going 3-of-8 from deep to finish with 13 points and seven points in the loss.
The Wine and Gold committed only six turnovers on the night, but the Hawks out-rebounded Cleveland, 50-39, and shot 51 percent from the floor and 38 percent from beyond the arc to turn the tables and take the road victory.
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