Only three games into the season, but facing a brutal West Coast swing the following week, Saturday’s matchup with the Hawks was a game the Wine & Gold really needed to get.
They got it.
Behind excellent efforts from Ricky Rubio and rookie Evan Mobley, the Cavaliers got their first victory of the 2021-22 season – using a 21-0 stretch that spanned the first and second halves and holding Atlanta off down the stretch to take the 101-95 win at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
One night after taking the blame for a tough loss in the home opener in which he committed three key turnovers in the fourth quarter, Rubio was sensational on Saturday – leading Cleveland with 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, adding a team-high eight assists, six boards and a steal.