11-8-16 vs. Hawks

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Wrap-Up – 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.

LeBron James and Kevin Love tally double-doubles as the Wine and Gold stay unbeaten.

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.

Turning Point -- When the Cavaliers’ offense gets rolling, sometimes it’s best just to trade baskets to stay afloat. That was the case late in the third quarter for Atlanta – who saw a red-hot Cleveland squad cut their 18-point lead to just three, 79-76, with 46 second to play on Channing Frye’s second bomb of the quarter.

Kent Bazemore stopped the bleeding with a jumper, but J.R. Smith canned another trey on Cleveland’s next possession. But Bazemore was fouled on a three-point attempt at the third period buzzer.

The undrafted forward from Old Dominion calmly sank all free throws to quiet the crowd and give Atlanta a five-point edge heading into the fourth quarter. They’d start the fourth with a 10-2 run that would eventually give them all the breathing room they’d need.

By the Numbers – 854 … three-pointers that Channing Frye has hit over the course of his career – placing him third on the NBA’s all-time list of three-pointers hit by players 6-11 or taller.  Frye will never catch that group’s leader, Dirk Nowitzki (1,705 and counting) but he’s got a shot to move into the second spot over Rasheed Wallace (1,086). Behind Frye on that list is Toni Kukoc (731) and Charlie Villanueva (716).

Quotable – Kevin Love, on Tuesday night’s loss …

”We’re playing (Atlanta) at home. We know they’re going to be gunning for us, especially after the history that we’ve had. So I don’t know if it’s a respect thing. We just didn’t play good enough basketball tonight.”

Up Next – The Cavaliers will practice in Independence on Wednesday before departing for the nation’s capital, where they’ll appear at the White House as World Champions. On Friday night, it’s a date with the Wizards on Friday night at the Verizon Center. They return home for a Sunday afternoon meeting with the Hornets at The Q followed by the Raptors first visit to Cleveland this season two nights later. Cleveland travels to Indy for the first time next Wednesday and close the week out with a home matchup with the Pistons.

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Hawks Hold Off Late Rally, Hand Cavs Season's First Loss

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#CavsHawks Game Photos - November 8, 2016

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The Cavaliers haven’t dropped a regular season or playoff game since June 10 – Game 4 of the NBA Finals – and look to move to 7-0 for the first time since 1976-77, the fall after the Miracle of Richfield.

Cleveland had its closest call of the season against the winless Sixers on Saturday night – with Channing Frye hitting the game-winning three-pointer with 1:05 to play at the Wells Fargo Center. Kyrie Irving made a pair of big defensive plays in the final minute, but it was J.R. Smith who saved the day – stripping Gerald Henderson before he could release a shot in the closing seconds.

The Hawks won their first three games of the season, dropped two straight and bounced back against the Rockets on Saturday night at Philips Arena.

The last time these two clubs met, the Wine and Gold were wrapping up another four-game sweep of the Hawks, their 12th straight postseason victory over Atlanta. Overall, the Cavs have won 11 straight against the Hawks and look to continue that stretch with the first of four this season on Tuesday at The Q.

Early in the first quarter on Saturday night, LeBron James continued his steady rise through the NBA’s all-time scoring list, passing Hakeem Olajuwon to move into the Top 10.

On Monday afternoon, James went 2-for-2 this season, being named the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week once again – his NBA record 55th nod. Against Philly, the four-time MVP was excellent again, leading both teams with 25 points and 14 assists – his third straight double-double – going 9-for-23 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the stripe to go with eight boards and a pair of steals. When LeBron registers at least 20 points and 10 assists, the Cavaliers have won 23 straight games.

James will match up with Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore (mixed with some Thabo Sefalosha, who leads the NBA at +76) on Tuesday night. Bazemore is coming off his best game of the season – notching 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting, including 3-of-4 from long-range, in the Hawks’ 15-point win over Houston on Saturday night.

When the Cavaliers and Hawks squared off in last year’s Eastern Conference Semis, the Wine and Gold set NBA marks from the three-point line, canning 77 triples over the course of the four-game sweep. In Game 2 alone, the Cavs hit 25 bombs – setting the NBA record for three-pointers in any game, regular or postseason. So far this season, the Cavaliers have drilled an NBA-best 80 treys, with their 13.3 made threes, the top mark in the league through six games.

While less explosive than the Cavaliers, the Hawks have been very efficient on the offensive end so far this season – ranking third in the league at 27.3 assists per game, including at least 30 twice and 22 in all six games.

With Jeff Teague now manning the point for Indiana, Dennis Schroder has taken over in Atlanta, and he’s off to a strong start – averaging 15.0 and 6.5 helpers through six games.

He won’t have an easy night at the office on Tuesday when he squares off against Kyrie Irving, who struggled on Saturday night, finishing with eight points on 3-for-17 shooting – his first game below 20 points since Game 2 of last year’s Finals.

If it weren’t for LeBron James’ scalding start, the headlines would be focused on Kevin Love, who’s been outstanding to start the 2016-17 campaign.

On Saturday night in Philly, Love notched his third double-double of the season, finishing with 20 points and 11 boards – his third consecutive 20-plus point game. So far this season, Love’s netted at least 18 points and five boards in all six contests.

Love will go up against Atlanta’s leading scorer, Paul Millsap, on Tuesday night. The Hawks’ three-time All-Star was their most efficient player when these two teams squared off in the Second Round last spring, and he’s off to another great start this year. On Saturday night, he notched his second double-double of the season, going off for 23 points, 11 boards, four assists and five steals against Houston.

Between Love, LeBron, Millsap and Dwight Howard, we’ll be watching some of the top double-double machines in the business on Tuesday night.

Despite changing locations – returning to his hometown in the offseason – Dwight Howard is doing his thing again this year, averaging 17.0 points and 12.3 boards per contest and is tied for the NBA’s top spot with five double-doubles, including four straight.

Howard is also ranked 2nd in the NBA in field goal percentage at .617, trailing only his teammate – Mike Muscala – who’s shooting at a .710 clip so far this season. Muscala has shot at least 50 percent from the floor in all six games this season and has notched double-figures twice.

On the opposite side, Tristan Thompson has been rock-solid all season. On Saturday night, the sixth-year big man led all rebounders with 13 and has pulled down at least 10 in each of his last five games, averaging a team-high 10.8 boards per contest this year.

His backup, Channing Frye, has been just as solid of late: tallying double-figures in his last three outings, averaging 11.3 points on 57 percent shooting from beyond the arc over that stretch.

five-keys-cavaliers-vs-hawks

Five Keys: Cavaliers vs. Hawks

After a 102-101 win at Philadelphia on Saturday, the Cavaliers return to Quicken Loans Arena to take on the Atlanta Hawks. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. (ET).

The Cavs are the only undefeated team in the NBA with a 6-0 record, their 2nd-best start in franchise history (1976-77, 8-0).

CAVS TO DON BLACK JERSEYS.
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Get into the conversation with other die-hards.

The Wine and Gold have remained unbeaten thanks in large part to their success shooting the long ball. This season, Cleveland has nailed an NBA-high 80 three-pointers through six games. Their 13.3 made threes per game ranks 1st in the NBA so far.

Cleveland will look to continue their hot shooting against the Hawks, a team the Cavaliers have dominated as of late. Dating back to the 2015 NBA Playoffs, the Wine and Gold have won their last 11 meetings versus the Hawks.

Atlanta (4-2) comes into this season with a new look. Gone are Jeff Teague and Al Horford; in are Dwight Howard and Jarrett Jack.

Through the first six games, the Hawks have been solid at both ends of the floor.

The Hawks are leading the NBA in steals per game at 12.2 and has come up with at least 10 thefts in every game this season.

Offensively, Atlanta ranks third in the NBA in assists at 27.3 per game, dishing out at least 22 helpers in all six contests, including 25-plus on three occasions.

For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike and @chones22 on Twitter.

Status Update: (Cavs) - Mo Williams, (NWT)

As mentioned, the Wine and Gold have had the Hawks number recently. The Cavs swept past Atlanta in the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals, won all three meetings with Atlanta in the 2015-16 regular season and posted another sweep of the Hawks in the 2016 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The last time these two teams faced off was in the 2016 Eastern Conference Semifinals, when the Cavs converted 77 three-pointers in the four games, averaging 19.3 threes per game. Their 77 triples set an NBA record for any playoff series that lasted six games or fewer games. In Game 2 of the series, the Wine and Gold connected on 25 triples, setting the NBA record for three-pointers made in any game (regular and postseason).

Tuesday's matchup will be the first of four meetings between the Conference foes this season (at ATL 11/20 &amp; 4/9, at CLE 4/7).

Hoops for Troop Night: With Veterans Day this Friday, November 11th, the Cleveland Cavaliers will honor current and former members of the United States Military on Tuesday. The Cavs are proud to pay tribute to those that have served our country by hosting the annual “Hoops for Troops Night,” presented by Ohio CAT. The special evening is part of the NBA’s annual Hoops for Troops Week in partnership with the Department of Defense. MORE DETAILS

After Tuesday's game, the Wine and Gold head to the nation’s capital for a visit to the White House as World Champs followed by a Friday night meeting with John Wall and the Washington Wizards. They return home for a Sunday afternoon meeting with the Charlotte Hornets at The Q followed by the Raptors first visit to Cleveland this season two nights later. GET TICKETS | VIEW FULL SCHEDULE

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#CavsHawks Game Preview - November 8, 2016

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11‑8‑16 vs. Hawks

Hawks Hold Off Late Rally, Hand Cavs Season's First Loss

#CavsHawks Game Photos - November 8, 2016

Five Keys: Cavaliers vs. Hawks

#CavsHawks Game Preview - November 8, 2016