Cavs clinch No. 4 seed, await first-round opponent

The Cavaliers know where they’ll start the playoffs. They just don’t know who they’ll be playing.

Cleveland is locked into the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference following Friday’s 124-102 road loss to the Hawks, combined with the Knicks’ win over Toronto. That result officially ended any chance of the Cavs moving up to No. 3.

So now, it’s all about the matchup.

Three teams remain in the mix to face the Cavs in the first round — the Hawks, Raptors and Magic. As things stand, Atlanta holds the No. 5 spot at 46-35 and controls its own fate.

If the Hawks win Sunday in Miami, they’ll finish with 47 victories and clinch the No. 5 seed, setting up a series with the Cavs (51-30). Atlanta also owns key tiebreakers, including the division title, which gives it the edge in any multi-team tie.

If the Hawks lose, things open up.

Toronto and Orlando both sit at 45-36 and would have a chance to move into fifth. The Raptors host Brooklyn, while the Magic travel to Boston, which has already secured the No. 2 seed.

Toronto holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Atlanta, while the Hawks swept Orlando during the regular season.

In other words, there are still a few paths. But for the Cavaliers, the situation is simple.

They’ll be at home to start the playoffs. They just have to wait until Sunday to find out who’s coming to town.

As for the game, the Hawks took control in the third quarter and never looked back, pulling away for the win. CJ McCollum led Atlanta with 29 points, while Dyson Daniels recorded his second career triple-double with 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

The victory clinched a playoff spot and the Southeast Division title for the Hawks.

Atlanta broke things open with a 16-0 run midway through the third, turning an 11-point lead into a 27-point cushion. The Cavs never seriously threatened after that stretch, struggling from beyond the arc and finishing at just 26 percent from three-point range.

Cleveland was short-handed, playing without Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill. James Harden led the way with 20 points, while Jaylon Tyson returned from a 10-game absence to start and scored 15.