Hawks vs. Cavaliers: Play-by-play, highlights and reactions

The Atlanta Hawks (16-19) play against the Cleveland Cavaliers (16-16) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Game Time: 7:30 PM EST on Friday December 31, 2021

Atlanta Hawks 121, Cleveland Cavaliers 118 (Final)

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Chad Ford @chadfordinsider
Rookies on Fri
Evan Mobley, 16 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast, 3 blk
Omer Yurtseven, 10 pts, 13 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk
Jalen Green, 16 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast
Aaron Wiggins, 13 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl
Josh Christopher, 7 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl
Austin Reaves, 10 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl – 12:52 AM Trae Young @TheTraeYoung
WHATS GOOD 2022 !!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Happy New Years – 12:03 AM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Happy New Year!
Thanks for reading Hawks dot com and listening to @ATLand29 and being generally engaging chaps and folks on this here Twitter site. – 12:01 AM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Looking forward to an All-Star year in 2022! 🌟🎉 #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/mNXefH8GxL – 12:00 AM Trae Young @TheTraeYoung
Holla at me in 22’… Happy New Years🎉 pic.twitter.com/YKmyZiKkC8 – 11:34 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
Trae Young finished tonight’s contest with 35 points and 11 assists, marking his 39th career 30+ point, 10+ assist outing, tying Kevin Johnson and Damian Lillard for 12th-most such games in NBA history. – 11:21 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Trae Young, on 2 TOs: “You know more than me on that one. (laughs) I don’t know. We just kept the ball in certain guys’ hands and made the right reads … We didn’t shoot the best percentages tonight but we got a lot of shots up and it ultimately led us to a win.” – 11:02 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Nate McMillan, on Trae Young leading the two-turnover effort:
“With all the pressure that he was seeing tonight, I thought he did a beautiful job of just managing the game and changing his tempo in the fourth quarter.” – 10:54 PM Bogdan Bogdanovic @LeaderOfHorde
Way to close the year with the BIG WIN felllas!!! See you all next year!!! 🅰
#ATL #wemove #weon #letsgo – 10:53 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
The Hawks committed a franchise-low two turnovers in tonight’s win in Cleveland (Prev. 4, 2/25/99).
Per @EliasSports, Atlanta’s the fifth team in the NBA to record two-or-fewer turnovers in a single game since the 1970-71 season (when team turnovers were first tracked). – 10:44 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
The Hawks overcame a 15-point halftime deficit (66-51) in tonight’s win. The 15-point halftime comeback marks Atlanta’s largest halftime comeback since 3/3/21 at Orlando (61-42 at halftime, 115-112 final). – 10:09 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Kevin Love had his first 35/10 game since 2017.
35 PTS
11 REB
4 AST
10-18 FG
7-14 3P
He is the first Cavalier to have a 35/10 game off the bench since 1975. pic.twitter.com/1OkcbFCiX9 – 10:09 PM Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
The Celtics win Friday keeps them above the play-in line as the teams right behind them both win. With the Knicks loss at OKC, it stays tight as 2022 begins.
8. Washington 18-17
9. BOSTON 17-19
New York 17-19
11. Toronto 15-17
12. Atlanta 16-19
3 1/2 games separate 5-12. – 10:06 PM Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
Cavaliers forward @kevinlove42 has four straight 20-point games, tied for his longest streak over the last 4 seasons. Love had 35 points, 11 rebounds, seven 3-pointers and four assists off the bench in a loss to Atlanta tonight. pic.twitter.com/KgCIIUZqdw – 10:06 PM Joe Gabriele @CavsJoeG
ATL scores 40pts in 3Q, #Cavs can’t close late – drop third straight, 121-118; CLE, 57%FG, 58%FT; ATL, 44%FG, 16 3ptFG, 19-21FT; CLE, 68 pts in paint; ATL, just 2 T.O.; Capela, season-hi 23reb. pic.twitter.com/btGPZYSHFP – 10:02 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Trae and Nate pic.twitter.com/u57t1nhba5 – 10:01 PM Matt Williams @StatsWilliams
Trae Young has scored 25 points in 15 straight games, the 2nd-longest streak in Hawks history.
December marked the 3rd time in his career he averaged 30 points and 10 assists in a calendar month (min. 10 games).
Only Russell Westbrook has done that more over the last 35 years. – 10:00 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Back at it in 2022. – 9:59 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
The Hardship Hawks – minus 15 players – set a team record by committing two turnovers. – 9:58 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
That does it in Cleveland. #Cavs lose their third consecutive game 121-118 to the Hawks.
Kevin Love had a team-high 35 points and 11 rebounds, followed by Jarrett Allen with 21 points. – 9:58 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
I don’t need the refs discouraging Trae from playing good defense over screens by calling him for fouls when he slips through nicely. – 9:58 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Perfectly executed 👌 pic.twitter.com/ob92RHSV2i – 9:56 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
35 POINTS! 🔥 #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/idZtErDHhB – 9:49 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Hawks were way too casual about take fouls and letting CLE get in bonus early in 4Q, and CLE gave it right back by not making FTs. – 9:46 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
🥶 #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/Quik3L6sr6 – 9:40 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
Trae Young has reached the 25-point mark for his 15th straight game, the second-longest streak in franchise history (Dominique Wilkins, 16 consecutive from 12/19/85-1/25/86) and the longest in the NBA this season. – 9:38 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Season-high 29 points & counting for @Kevin Love 🔥 #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/J0pBZDQcZP – 9:33 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
With his sixth free throw attempt tonight, Lou Williams (4,007) has surpassed Shareef Abdur-Rahim for 75th-most in NBA history. – 9:31 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
WITH AUTHORITY! 🔨
@Jarrett Allen | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/89TsR0uQeK – 9:30 PM Eric Koreen @ekoreen
They could really stand for Chris Boucher to turn back into Prime Kevin love again. – 9:25 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Way to beat the buzzer, @Brandon Goodwin! 👏
📺 #CavsHawks on @BallySportsCLE pic.twitter.com/V2UfelSqVk – 9:22 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Final quarter of 2021 … let’s make it count 👊 #LetEmKnow – 9:21 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
The Hawks hit the 40-point mark in a third quarter for the third time this season. – 9:20 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Hawks lead after 3Q after not playing literally one lick of defense in the first half.
They have 1.0 American turnovers in this game. That helps a lot. – 9:19 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
Clint Capela has reached the 20-rebound mark for the 23rd time in his career and eighth as a Hawk. – 9:18 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
That was not a great quarter for the #Cavs. Outscored by the Hawks 40-22. – 9:18 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
With block number five tonight, Clint Capela has reached 182 rejections as a Hawk, and ties John Drew for 22nd in team history. – 9:14 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
Trae Young has recorded his 76th career game with at least 20 points and 10 assists, the most since the start of the 2018-19 season … His 13 this season lead the NBA. – 9:10 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
Clint Capela (10 offensive rebounds) has reached double digits in offensive boards for the sixth time in his career and second time as a Hawk. – 9:08 PM Rick Noland @RickNoland
Cavs losing focus as Hawks heat up – 9:07 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
COUNT IT!
📺 #CavsHawks on @BallySportsCLE pic.twitter.com/cPEvxBgtum – 9:04 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Make it four straight 20+ point nights for @Kevin Love! 🔥 #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/Fxa3AOn7Uh – 9:01 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Skylar Mays has 19 points in his 17 minutes thus far. Far and away the brightest spot tonight. – 8:56 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Beautiful turnaround 😍
@Evan Mobley | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/RDZs07QlTy – 8:56 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
Hawks Cam Reddish (right ankle sprain) will not return to tonight’s game. – 8:54 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
Hawks go on a 17-6 run to open up the third quarter, and cut the #Cavs lead to four points. – 8:53 PM Joe Gabriele @CavsJoeG
ATL’s Cam Reddish suffered a right ankle sprain; will not return tonight. – 8:51 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Hawks say Cam Reddish will not return. – 8:47 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
Cam Reddish (right ankle sprain) will not return to tonight’s game. – 8:46 PM Joe Gabriele @CavsJoeG
#Cavs in control thru 2Q – lead Hawks at H, 66-51; CLE, 70%FG, 5-11 3ptFG, ATL, 35%FG; CLE, 19asst on 28FGM; pts in paint: CLE, 42, ATL, 14: Love, 16pts, 4-6 3ptFG, 3reb, 2asst; Allen, 12pts, 5-5FG, 5reb, 2blk; Mobley, 10pts, 5-7FG, 6reb, 4asst, blk; Goodwin, 6pts, 3asst, +15. pic.twitter.com/CivId3F5OI – 8:38 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
At the half, #Cavs have a 66-51 lead over Hawks. They shot 70% from the field (28-of-40) and 45.5% from 3 (5-of-11). Cavs did a much better job protecting the ball as they did not turn the ball over in the 2nd quarter.
Kevin Love has 16 pts, followed by Jarrett Allen with 12pts. – 8:38 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Tower City finishing 2021 strong!
@Kevin Love: 16 PTS
@Jarrett Allen: 12 PTS, 5 REB, 2 BLK
@Evan Mobley: 10 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST
@socios | #LetEmKnow – 8:37 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Points in the paint:
Hawks 14 (7/24 FG)
Cavs 42 (21/25 FG) – 8:35 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
With his first steal tonight, Clint Capela has 300 in his career and becomes the 20th active player with at least 5,300 points, 4,500 rebounds, 650 blocks and 300 steals. – 8:34 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Dunk-yard dog 🐶
📺 #CavsHawks on @BallySportsCLE pic.twitter.com/bedAtlZJMT – 8:29 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Mays isn’t an incredible defender, but if were to, say, gain the backup PG position, he’d give the Hawks about 300 percent more on defense than the incumbent. – 8:27 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
The #Cavs are just CRUSHING it in the paint in this first half. After that dunk from Lamar Stevens, the Cavs have scored 38 of their 56 points in the paint. – 8:26 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
Skylar Mays has 13 points, the most in his career in a first half …The most he’s scored in either half is 20 (second half, 2/12/21 vs. San Antonio). – 8:24 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Wasting no time collecting another poster.
RETWEET to send #JarrettAllen to #NBAAllStar!
#LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/w7HjGzVn68 – 8:22 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
MY GOODNESS JARRETT ALLEN! pic.twitter.com/z8hvJtEQ5N – 8:20 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
#Cavs Ricky Rubio is here at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, sitting just behind the Cavs. – 8:14 PM Cedi Osman @cediosman
KLove chill 😤 – 8:13 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Not just a shooter 🤫
@Kevin Love | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/fa4qT5k6hg – 8:12 PM Scott Agness @ScottAgness
The Pacers plan to sign Lance Stephenson to a 10-day contract, league sources told @FieldhouseFiles.
It will be his third stint with the franchise that drafted him in 2010.
fieldhousefiles.substack.com/p/pacers-bring… – 8:09 PM Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
Hawks say Cam Reddish (right ankle sprain) is questionable to return to tonight’s game. – 8:08 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Hawks say Cam Reddish (right ankle sprain) is questionable to return to tonight’s game. – 8:07 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
We’ve got Kevin Love drawing charges on Lance Stephenson like it’s 2014. Happy New Year. – 8:07 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
Cam Reddish (right ankle sprain) is questionable to return to tonight’s game. – 8:07 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
First Wine & Gold bucket for @Brandon Goodwin! #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/7iljw5sCvi – 8:07 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Whole Lotta Love in #CavsHawks! – 8:04 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Points in the paint:
Hawks 8 (4/16 FG)
Cavs 20 (10/11 FG) – 8:03 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Frobley gonna Frobley. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/p91UdgkdOG – 7:57 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
HE DON’T MISS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/cDVQ8IJEXk – 7:55 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
#Cavs Kevin Love continues to just nail 3s. That’s two consecutive right there – 7:54 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
That was a heck of a sequence right there from the #Cavs bigs. A huge block from Jarrett Allen on Clint Capela, then for Evan Mobley to dunk on the other end off an assist from Kevin Pangos. – 7:52 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
N(ice) dish, @Isaac Okoro! 🥶 pic.twitter.com/WxcTbVWMfF – 7:50 PM Chuck Swirsky @ctsbulls
For the 2nd straight road game ( ATL-Indy) while leaving the arena, I was stopped by Bulls fans who have totally bought in. They love the vibe, skill and chemistry. Bulls Nation has plenty of room on the wagon..so hop aboard…at Washington Sat. 5:45 @670TheScore See you in DC ! – 7:49 PM Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
With his second assist tonight, Trae Young has 2,098 in his career, and ties Lou Hudson for 13th place in franchise history. – 7:45 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Hawks put Mays and Capela in double drag with Trae, and Capela got behind Allen for a dunk on the opening possession. – 7:42 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Receiving a major award! 🏆
RETWEET to congratulate @Evan Mobley on earning his @Kia Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award for October/November!
#NBAAllStar | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/JGMFBYV3EE – 7:35 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
🐶🐶 pic.twitter.com/1n8hUFlfsn – 7:29 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
#Cavs starting five for tonight’s game against Atlanta:
Kevin Pangos, Isaac Okoro, Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen – 7:16 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Final five of 2021! #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/X8pjCw1xUY – 7:15 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Hawks are starting:
Clint Capela
Wes Iwundu
Skylar Mays
Cam Reddish
Trae Young – 7:11 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
OFFICIAL: #JarrettAllen is back!
#NBAAllStar | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/3g2ShSnyoE – 7:02 PM Sean Highkin @highkin
Denzel Valentine getting traded away from a top 5 Eastern Conference playoff team to a struggling Western Conference play-in team and immediately getting waived is a really tough end-of-year blow for @cbefred. – 6:50 PM Bogdan Bogdanovic @LeaderOfHorde
Srecna Nova godina!!!
Mnogo radosti i veselja vam zelim!!!
– 6:44 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
#Cavs Jarrett Allen is going through his pregame workout on the court. He was listed as probable for tonight. – 6:13 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Got back-to-back 20+ point games for the first time in his career 🔥
#EvanMobley | #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/tOkbMXaTYD – 6:01 PM Danilo Gallinari @gallinari8888
Happy new year!!! 2⃣0⃣2⃣2⃣
#Year2022 #HapyNewYear pic.twitter.com/Mb1cabXFnI – 6:00 PM Kevin Love @kevinlove
NYE 💼 @ Cleveland, Ohio instagram.com/p/CYKiy_yOmz2/… – 5:55 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
NYE drippin’ #MoreDriven pic.twitter.com/s4ma05LlHj – 5:26 PM Marla Ridenour @MRidenourABJ
Updated with the signing of guard Brandon Goodwin to a 10-day contract: #Cavaliers acquire guard Rajon Rondo from #Lakers for Denzel Valentine beaconjournal.com/story/sports/p… via @beaconjournal – 5:17 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Let’s end the year right!
🆚 @Jaryd Wilson
🕢 7:30PM ET
📺 @BallySportsCLE
@betwayusa | #GetItLocked pic.twitter.com/oR23c3ztps – 4:30 PM Bogdan Bogdanovic @LeaderOfHorde
Yeni Yılın Kutlu Olsun 🎄 – 4:20 PM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
The Cleveland Cavaliers-Los Angeles Lakers trade of Rajon Rondo for Denzel Valentine is now official. – 4:14 PM Brad Turner @BA_Turner
The @latimessports has @Dan Woike with this news: Lakers are trading Rajon Rondo to Cleveland Cavaliers latimes.com/sports/lakers/… – 3:46 PM Kelsey Russo @kelseyyrusso
#Cavs have signed guard Brandon Goodwin to a 10-day contract via the NBA’s hardship exception.
 
The Cavs also terminated the 10-day contract of Tre Scott, who was signed on Dec. 22 via the NBA’s hardship exception. – 3:34 PM Cedi Osman @cediosman
Sağlıklı,mutlu ve bol bol güldüğünüz bir yıl olsun! Sevdiklerinize sımsıkı sarılın 🙏🏻 Mutlu seneler 🎊🎉 – 3:32 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
OFFICIAL: #Cavs sign G Brandon Goodwin to a 10-day contract via the NBA’s hardship exception. – 3:29 PM Marla Ridenour @MRidenourABJ
#Cavs sign guard Brandon Goodwin to a 10-day contract with the hardship exception and terminated the 10-day contract of Tre Scott, signed Dec. 22 with the same exception from the Cleveland Charge. Goodwin has been with the Knicks G-League affiliate. – 3:29 PM Andrew Lopez @_Andrew_Lopez
Willie Green said Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart both practiced today and he says both guys are still day-to-day.
Ingram is dealing with left Achilles soreness while Hart has a sprained left ankle. Neither played on Tuesday against Cleveland. – 2:38 PM Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Worth noting:
Brian Shaw will lead Clippers, but Larry Drew is also on staff. When Lue had to miss nine games over a 19-day span in 2018 due to sleep deprivation, Drew helped lead Cavaliers to an 8-1 record. – 2:30 PM Cleveland Cavaliers @cavs
Entering tonight’s contest, the Wine & Gold have taken five of the last six #CavsHawks matchups.
@KeyBank | #LetEmKnow – 1:57 PM Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
Over 100 NBA players have signed a hardship exception. A look behind the scenes at getting a 10-day hardship exception with Joe Johnson, Brandon Knight and Lance Stephenson.
👉🏼 https://t.co/UtW3esxoBa pic.twitter.com/6LL3ZOt1XL – 1:56 PM Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Malcolm Hill joins this extended protocol list:
Bogdan Bogdanovic, John Collins, Sharife Cooper, Gorgui Dieng, Malik Ellison, Danilo Gallinari, Malcolm Hill, Kevin Huerter, Jalen Johnson, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Onyeka Okongwu, Delon Wright
S. Bill and Hunter remain out. – 1:33 PM