The Atlanta Hawks visited the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday evening, in what was about as close to a “must-win” game as possible at this point in the season for the Hawks, as their schedule gets significantly more difficult following this game. It’s no exaggeration to say that coming into this game, the Cavaliers were playing bad basketball, sitting on a 10-game losing streak.
The Hawks were looking to secure a win as they head into the toughest part of their schedule. The Hawks lost the first matchup with the Cavaliers (Jan. 2) in a weak second-half showing in which the Hawks once held a 15-point lead in the third quarter.