Official Game Thread: Cavaliers at Hawks (NBA Cup Group C Game 4) (2:30 PM Tip!)

[lethalweapon3]

“Ya think maybe Trae can hit the game clincher from here?”

 

((Tweet!)) I’ve been whistled for Traveling! Turning over this gamethread early before I hit the road once more.

After screwing up Wednesday’s hasty gamethread by forgetting which town the first of two Cavaliers-Hawks games were being played, here’s hoping Atlanta makes itself right at home today at, checks notes, State Farm Arena (2:30 PM Eastern, FanDuel Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, FDSN Ohio in CLE, NBATV elsewhere).

We’d rather not have this 2024-25 team remembered as The Only Team to Lose to The Wizards, and that’s out of our control. Although also not within our control, Atlanta possibly securing a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals would be sweet (go Celts go!). Now, The First Team to Beat the NBA’s Top Team Twice would make for a nice palate cleanser. This afternoon, that’s totally within the Hawks’ control.

The reserves, led by De’Andre Hunter, Kobe Bufkin and Bogi Bogdanovic, stepped up to set up the big finish in Wednesday’s 135-124 win over the Cavs (17-2), the first for Cleveland in their building this season. Can the starters, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher and Clint Capela in particular, finish their shots and find each other open when Trae Young (career-high 22 assists and 2 3FGs, one of them shot from Euclid, vs. CLE on Wednesday) gets bottled up? We’ll know that games like Wednesday’s are no longer a mirage when Trae’s game-sealing plays don’t require such high degrees of difficulty.

Hats off to the Hawks’ intrepid season ticketholders shuffling through traffic, loaded with shoppers racing to squabble over the last artificially intelligent blender at Best Buy, to be seated in the Highlight Factory in time for a 2:30 PM tipoff. With nary a major-network game on the slate, Hawks home games are set at 1 PM, 2:30 PM, 3 PM, 6 PM, 7 PM, 7:30 PM, and even one we already had at 7:45 PM. Atlanta may not have the best attendance in the NBA. Be we’re right up there among the best attendees.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Turning over this gamethread early before I hit the road once more.

Safe travels lw3! 
 

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

De’Andre Hunter

Just do a repeat performer for us … just once! A nice solid back2back.

 

Thanks lw3!

Go Hawks!!!

[JayBirdHawk]

One thing I hope we see carry over into this game is how we handled the Cavs zone. 

[Hawkmoor]

3 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

One thing I hope we see carry over into this game is how we handled the Cavs zone.  Trae Young plays point guard like he did in the last game vs. the Cavs.

I've always said he could be the best point guard in the league if he WANTED to.  His ball handling, court vision and passing is his best abilities.  Whether Quin convinced him to play point guard, he wanted to play point guard, doesn't matter, the system on offense is now suited to making Trae the elite point guard I felt he always could have been. 

You CAN build off this now.  Ship Capela in a package (that excludes Young, Daniels, Hunter, Bogi, Johnson, Bufkin, Risacher?) and whatever to get a scoring center or one that can play in space on defense.  I'm about done with Capela.

 

 

Edited November 29 by Hawkmoor

[Jdawgflow]

1 minute ago, Hawkmoor said:

I've always said he could be the best point guard in the league if he WANTED to.  His ball handling, court vision and passing is his best abilities.  Whether Quin convinced him to play point guard, he wanted to play point guard, doesn't matter, the system on offense is now suited to making Trae the elite point guard I felt he always could have been:

 

 

If he keeps it up and ends the season in the top 10 all time APG he will get his props and the narrative will change again…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provided we win enough to make it a ways in the playoffs.

[Gray Mule]

ESPN has changed.  Last game, they thought the Hawks had 18.1% chance to win.  Today, they say 32.1% chance!

Will we implode or explode?  Time will tell!

[JeffS17]

Need to see defensive intensity from minute zero to sixty.  

[Hawkmoor]

24 minutes ago, Jdawgflow said:

If he keeps it up and ends the season in the top 10 all time APG he will get his props and the narrative will change again…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provided we win enough to make it a ways in the playoffs.

I agree.  Its a team game.  He keeps showing this and the narrative will change.  I definitely agree with this.  

[Jdawgflow]

18 minutes ago, Hawkmoor said:

I agree.  Its a team game.  He keeps showing this and the narrative will change.  I definitely agree with this.  

I can only hope he keeps it up.  It is so fun to watch him pass and lead the team.  He is truly one the top few passers I have ever seen.  
 

It is nice he is clutch and can score if needed, but if he keeps this up and we get some shooters and a top 15 center around him we have a chance to do great things.  The defensive pieces are starting to be there now with DD and ZR.

[terrell]

Trae so careless with the ball.. smh

Rizz block!

[ShayD]

5 Turnovers and Cavs have 9 points off them. It's hopeless with this team unfortunately.

[terrell]

Turnovers turnovers...

[Peoriabird]

Trae with 3 turnovers already!

[ShayD]

This is why I say Trae should just try to score instead of pass. Players are just dropping the balls or Cavs playing passing lanes.

[Carmine]

Just now, Peoriabird said:

Trae with 3 turnovers already!

He does not value every possession. That carelessness is contagious and causes us to lose games.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Get it out of your system Trae in the 1st quarter.

 

[terrell]

1 minute ago, Peoriabird said:

Trae with 3 turnovers already!

His size doesn't help with some of those passes he tries to make.. Easy steals..

[Carmine]

1 minute ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Get it out of your system Trae in the 1st quarter.

 

I'd prefer not making pitfalls we have to dig ourselves out of...

[terrell]

Cavs playing D today..