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Atlanta Hawks hold off Cleveland Cavaliers 114-111 as Onyeka Okongwu scores a season-high 29
Onyeka Okongwu had 29 points and 12 rebounds, including the go-ahead putback in the final 30 seconds, and the Hawks ended a three-game skid.
In this article
Onyeka Okongwu scored a season-high 29 points with 12 rebounds, and the Atlanta Hawks held on to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-111 at State Farm Arena on Thursday, October 29. Atlanta snapped a three-game losing streak and is 3-3. Cleveland’s three-game winning streak ended, and the Cavaliers are 3-2.
Okongwu made 11 of 17 shots, including 4 of 6 threes, and scored 14 of his points in the third quarter. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 25 points, 13 of them in the third, and Aaron Wiggins scored 20 off the bench on 8-of-14 shooting.
How it turned
Cleveland scored 28 points in the first quarter, held Atlanta to 16 and led 31-16 early in the second. The Hawks answered by outscoring the Cavaliers 27-6 over the next eight minutes, and Okongwu’s three with 1:22 left in the half put them up 46-39. Atlanta led 46-44 at halftime after James Harden made two of three free throws with 6.1 seconds left.
The Hawks scored 43 points in the third quarter. Okongwu opened it with two threes, Alexander-Walker added another, and Atlanta led 61-50 with 9:14 left in the period, its biggest lead of the night. It was 89-82 after three.
Video: Atlanta Hawks / X.
Mario Hezonja’s tip-in and three kept Cleveland close early in the fourth, and Jarrett Allen’s basket made it 99-93. Jalen Johnson’s running dunk, a layup by Okongwu and Johnson’s 25-footer then pushed the lead to 106-96 with 4:37 left, and Dyson Daniels’ reverse layup made it 108-99 with 2:25 to go.
The finish
Cleveland scored 10 of the next 12 points. Donovan Mitchell made two free throws, Harden converted a three-point play, Evan Mobley dunked a pass from Mitchell, and Mitchell was fouled by Okongwu on a three-point try and made all three free throws to cut it to 110-109 with 43.2 seconds left. The call stood after a review.
Alexander-Walker missed a three on the next trip, but Okongwu grabbed the offensive rebound and scored to make it 112-109 with 28.2 seconds left. Mitchell answered with a short jumper, Alexander-Walker made two free throws with 15.3 seconds left, and Mitchell missed two pull-up threes on the final possession, the second after grabbing his own miss.
Video: Atlanta Hawks / X.
The numbers
Johnson had 17 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, and CJ McCollum had 8 assists despite a 1-of-8 shooting night. Jock Landale grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench. Atlanta made 17 of 43 threes, had 34 assists, won the rebounding battle 53-45 with 15 offensive boards and outscored Cleveland 15-4 in fast-break points.
Cleveland’s side
Harden led the Cavaliers with 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting and made 7 of 9 free throws. Mitchell scored 22 but shot 7-of-19 and 1-of-9 from three. Sam Merrill made 4 of 8 threes for 16 points off the bench, Allen had 14 points and 8 rebounds, and Mobley had 11 points and 7 assists. Cleveland shot 13-of-42 from three.
What’s next
The Cavaliers visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, October 31, at 8 p.m. ET (2 a.m. Sunday Cairo time). The Hawks visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET (1 a.m. Sunday Cairo time).
Full box score and play-by-play: Game Center. All-time head-to-head.
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