The Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks put on quite the show on Friday night in the first game of the NBA’s play-in tournament doubleheader and, in the end, it was Trae Young and the Hawks that did enough to come away with a 107-101 victory at Rocket Mortgage Arena.
After a rough first-half performance, Young was fantastic in the final 24 minutes of play as he scored 32 of his game-high 38 points in the second half when Atlanta needed them the most. With the win, the Hawks now move on to face the top-seeded Miami Heat in a series that will certainly be one that might provide intrigue.
On the other side, the loss ends what was a season the Cavaliers might draw plenty of positives from despite the fact they did not qualify for the playoffs. Fortunately for Cleveland though, this should not be the last time they push for a playoff spot anytime soon.