Hawks Rally From 15 Down to Beat Cavaliers 114-111 as Onyeka Okongwu Scores Season-High 29

The Atlanta Hawks dug themselves another early hole on Thursday night, and this time they climbed all the way out. Onyeka Okongwu scored a season-high 29 points with 12 rebounds, and Atlanta came back from 15 points down to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-111 at State Farm Arena on Oct. 29.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Hawks, who improved to 3-3, and ended Cleveland’s three-game winning streak. The Cavaliers fell to 3-2, according to the Associated Press.

Cavaliers vs. Hawks final score and key stats

How did the Hawks come back?

Cleveland jumped out to a 15-point lead in the first quarter. The AP noted it was the fourth straight game in which the Hawks trailed by at least 15 points. Atlanta’s 16 first-quarter points were its lowest for any period so far this season.

Then the Hawks flipped the game. They held Cleveland to 16 points in a quarter, which tied the Cavaliers’ lowest-scoring period of the season, and a 19-2 run in the second quarter turned a 35-24 deficit into a 43-37 lead.

What happened in the final seconds?

It came down to the last possession. Mitchell cut Atlanta’s lead to one with a driving layup with 20.6 seconds left. Alexander-Walker answered with two free throws with 15.3 seconds remaining to push the lead back to three. Mitchell got two potential tying shots off on Cleveland’s final trip, but missed both.

Onyeka Okongwu’s breakout night

For Okongwu, this was a long-awaited big game. NBC Sports noted that his season high entering the night was 11 points and that he had not recorded a double-double yet this season. Against Cleveland, he went 11 of 17 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and added two assists, a steal and a block.

That kind of spacing from a big man changed the game for Atlanta, which needed somebody to answer after another slow start.

How did Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers play?

Harden led Cleveland with 24 points and Mitchell added 22. Sam Merrill made 4 of 8 3-pointers. The Cavaliers’ early burst showed what they can do, but their offense stalled badly once Atlanta made its run in the second quarter.

A doubleheader night in Atlanta

The NBA game was the second half of a doubleheader at State Farm Arena. Earlier in the evening, the Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals, the AP reported.

What’s next for the Cavaliers and Hawks?

• Cavaliers: at the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night
• Hawks: at the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night

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