The fourth-ranked offense of the Cleveland Cavaliers (56-24) welcomes the second-ranked defense of the Atlanta Hawks (48-32). Action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Apr. 11 and can be seen on NBA, FxS and FxO.
The Cavaliers are hoping for a better outcome after their 105-102 loss to the Bulls on Saturday. LeBron James was the game’s leading scorer, recording 33 points. The Hawks, meanwhile, are coming off a 118-107 win over the Celtics on Saturday. Paul Millsap claimed his 31st double-double of the season with 31 points and 16 rebounds.
James has been playing at a high level over the last five games for the Cavaliers. During that stretch, he has averaged 27.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 1.5 three-pointers. On the other side, the Hawks have their own duo that have been hot in that span. Jeff Teague has averaged 22.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.6 blocks, and 2.2 three-pointers, while Millsap has put up 18.6 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.0 steals, 3.4 blocks, and 1.8 three-pointers.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength, as the prolific offense of Cleveland (fourth in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 108.9) takes on the stingy defense of Atlanta (second in the league with a defensive efficiency of 99.4). Put-back points also figure to be rare for the Hawks. They rank 30th in the NBA in offensive rebounding (offensive rebound percentage of 19.1%), while the Cavaliers are fifth-best in the league on the defensive glass (defensive rebound percentage of 78.5%).
The Cavaliers have emerged victorious in both games against the Hawks this year, escaping with a narrow 110-108 victory the last time these teams met. James finished with 29 points and 16 rebounds.
The Cavaliers enter the game with records of 56-24 Straight Up (SU) and 36-42-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 56-24 SU and 36-42-2 ATS against the Eastern Conference.
In the other locker room, Atlanta has a SU record of 48-32 and an ATS record of 41-37-2. In Eastern Conference games, Atlanta has gone 48-32 SU and 41-37-2 ATS. Atlanta is the third-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 18.6 per game.
Cleveland beat Atlanta in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against the Hawks to 7-3 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. Additionally, the Cavaliers lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle
Notes
Atlanta puts up 103.0 points per game (ranked 12th), but Cleveland typically allows only 98.2 points per game (ranked third).
Atlanta scores 102.4 points per away game, ranking eighth in the league. Cleveland gives up just 98.2 points per home game (ranked fifth).
Atlanta has a fantastic 33-9 record when it allows under 100 points this season. Cleveland is 12-16 when it puts up under 100.
The Atlanta Hawks have a subpar 15-23 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 44-8 when they hit the century mark.
The Hawks have an offensive rating of 103.7 (ranked 17th), while the Cavaliers rank 10th for their defensive rating of 102.7.
Cleveland has an average field goal percentage of 46.0% (ranked ninth). Atlanta is a losing 8-14 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Cleveland is ninth and fourth in the league for FG% and EFF% respectively, while Atlanta is 11th and sixth in these categories.
The Atlanta Hawks, ranked second in the NBA, average 25.7 assists per game. The Cleveland Cavaliers make 22.8 assists (ranked 11th).
The Atlanta Hawks average 5.9 blocks per game, the fourth-ranked team in the league. The Cleveland Cavaliers rank a lowly 27th in blocking with just 3.8 per game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rank 12th in offensive rebounding, while the Atlanta Hawks also rank 12th in defensive rebounds.
The Atlanta Hawks rank third in steals, with an average of 9.1 per game. When the Cleveland Cavaliers allow at least 9 steals, they have a winning 15-7 record.
