Hawks Look to Rebound From Cold Shooting Against Cavaliers

By NBA Stat Desk How we produce articles

Atlanta's shooting should bounce back enough at home to edge a Cleveland team led by Donovan Mitchell.

CLE @ ATL Oct 30, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC

Atlanta's most pressing issue is easy to find. In its Oct. 24 home loss to Houston, the Hawks went 13-of-49 from three, about 27%. That was the main reason they lost, and it is the first thing they need to fix against Cleveland. Before that game they had beaten Orlando and Charlotte, so the loss to the Rockets looks more like a rough shooting night than a sign of deeper trouble.

The Houston game also showed what this offense can do. Atlanta trimmed a 20-point deficit to five before Houston closed it out. The comeback came up short, but the slow start is the lesson: against a Cavaliers team that can lean on Donovan Mitchell, who led Cleveland with 25 points in one of the sources, the Hawks cannot afford to dig that kind of hole again. Cleveland arrives with some momentum after an overtime win over Minnesota, a game in which Meleek Thomas was credited with sparking the team in his NBA debut.

Jalen Johnson is the player Atlanta will look to first. He is the Hawks' main producer at 21.5 points, and his scoring, rebounding and playmaking drive their offense. His rebounding matters more because Mo Gueye is out with a left foot fracture, which thins the frontcourt. Atlanta will need Johnson to carry a heavy load on the glass and as a creator.

I expect Atlanta to shoot better from deep than it did against Houston, and the home setting should help it start with more energy. Mitchell will keep Cleveland within reach, and the thin frontcourt could make the rebounding battle uncomfortable. Still, Johnson and a better night from the perimeter should be enough. Prediction: Hawks 117, Cavaliers 112.

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