Game Summary
The Cavaliers (14-7) travel down south on Thursday for a quick matchup against the Atlanta Hawks (4-16). Tipoff from Philips Arena is at 7:30 p.m. (ET).
The Wine & Gold own the longest active winning streak in the NBA at nine-straight after topping the Miami Heat, 108-97, at home on Tuesday.
Cavs Visit Hawks
From where to catch all the action to Thursday's game notes, Cavs.com has you covered.
FOX Sports Ohio
WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega
Joe G.'s guide to a victory.
Learn more about Thursday's matchup.
Join Wine & Gold Nation and get into the convo.
After snagging the victory over Miami, the Cavs are tied for first place in the Central Division with the Detroit Pistons. The club is also tied with Detroit for second in the Eastern Conference, just behind the Boston Celtics.
The Cavs' winning streak was kept alive on Tuesday night by a number of key performances, but it was Kevin Love's instrumental effort that stood out.
Against the Heat, Love registered a season-high 38 points (10-16 FG, 4-8 3FG, 14-17 FT), nine rebounds and two steals in just 25 minutes of action. Love had 22 points in the first quarter, which was the highest scoring opening period by a Cavs player this season (prev. 16, LeBron James, 11/20/17 at DET).
The Cavs' recent success from behind the arc also factored into Tuesday's win when they knocked down 11 total deep balls. Over the past 10 games, the club has connected on at least 10 three-pointers, averaging 13.3 treys in that span (.380 3FG%).
While the Wine & Gold's three-point success is impressive, it's only one part of their recent offensive excellence. In fact, the club is averaging 111.6 points during their nine-game win streak, outscoring opponents by an average of 10.6 points. They are also averaging 23.1 assists, while shooting .375 from deep and .803 from the foul line.
On Thursday, the Cavaliers will be looking for more than just their tenth-straight win of the season. They'll be looking to exact some revenge on an Atlanta Hawks team that knocked them off earlier this month at The Q.
The struggling Hawks were able to get a leg up on the Cavs after topping them, 117-115, back on November 5th. However, Atlanta's upset win over the Wine & Gold hasn't translated well since. The club is 2-8 since dropping the Cavs while owning the Southeast Division's fifth-place spot.
In order to earn a second-straight win over the Cavaliers, the Hawks will need big efforts from their starting five. In their last game against the Cavs, all five Atlanta starters scored in double digits, highlighted by point guard Dennis Schroder's 28 points. Schroder, who scored a team-high 14 points in his club's most recent, 112-78, loss to the Toronto Raptors will need to improve in order to get the Hawks back into the winning column.
Where to Catch the Action
TV: FOX Sports Ohio
Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 La Mega
For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike and @chones22 on Twitter.
Probable Starters/Status Update*
#81 - Jose Calderon
#5 - JR Smith
#23 - LeBron James
#99 - Jae Crowder
#0 - Kevin Love
G
G
F
F
C
#17 - Dennis Schroder
#24 - Kent Bazemore
#12 - Taurean Prince
#20 - John Collins
#14 - DeWayne Dedmon
Status Update: (Cavs) - Isaiah Thomas, (Right hip, Out), Derrick Rose, (NWT, Out), Tristan Thompson, (Left calf strain, Out), Iman Shumpert, (Left knee effusion, Out)
Status Update: (Hawks) - Isaiah Taylor, (Eye, TBD), Luke Babbitt, (Back, TBD), Mike Muscala, (Ankle, TBD), Nicolas Brussino, (G-League Recall, TBD)
*Subject to change.
Head-to-Head Matchup
As mentioned, the Cavs are looking to avoid dropping two-straight games to the Atlanta Hawks when they tipoff Thursday night at Philips Arena. However, as history tells us, Cleveland does well when playing in downtown Hotlanta.
The Cavs are 2-1 in their past three games at Philips Arena, averaging 123.3 points, 28.7 assists, 16.0 second chance points and 19.3 fast-break points over those three contests.
History also tells us that the Cavs excel against the Hawks in general, especially in the playoffs. The Cavs and Hawks met in both the 2015 and 2016 NBA Playoffs with Cleveland taking all eight games. Overall, the Wine & Gold are 12-0 when taking on Atlanta in the postseason (they also swept the Hawks in 2009).
The squads will face off two more times this season following Thursday night's game with their next contest taking place on December 12th in Cleveland. They'll round out the four-game season series on February 9, 2018 back in the ATL.
On Deck
Following Thursday's matchup with the Hawks, the Wine & Gold will head back home to dual with the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (ET). The Cavs will then hit the road to battle the Bulls on Monday, December 4th. Tipoff from the United Center is at 8:00 p.m. (ET).