Cavaliers Have Work To Do After First Skid Of Season, 'And That's Fine -- We'll Put In The Work'

No longer are the Cavaliers the team that sprinted out of the gate. Instead, they seem to have hit a wall. Darius Garland, Cavaliers, Cavs, NBA, Hawks

The latest example came during Friday’s 117-101 road loss to the Atlanta Hawks — the same team that beat them Wednesday in Cleveland.

In this one, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley did their part, but the rest of the roster struggled to find its footing. Donovan Mitchell, the guy who’s been their offensive engine, couldn’t get going — missing his first nine shots and finishing with just 12 points on 5-of-23 shooting.

“It wasn’t his night, but he kept battling,” coach Kenny Atkinson said, via Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com. “That’s what you love about Donovan. He keeps his head in it, keeps leading. The shots will fall. Tonight, they just didn’t.”

Garland led the way with 29 points, hitting five 3-pointers and dishing out five assists. Mobley put up a strong 24 points and 12 rebounds, doing everything he could to keep Cleveland in it. But when your leading scorer is struggling as mightily as Mitchell did, you’re in trouble against a Hawks team that came ready to play.

Atlanta was led by De’Andre Hunter’s 23 points and Trae Young’s 21 points and 11 assists, and was in control for most of the day. Hunter showed why he’s a coveted wing with his ability to stretch the floor and guard multiple positions. He’s killed the Cavaliers for two straight games.

Overall, the Hawks punished Cleveland for defensive lapses, shooting a crisp 51.8% from the field and 41.2% from deep. The Cavs, meanwhile, stumbled their way to just 40.9% shooting and an ugly 28.9% from beyond the arc.

And even with Caris LeVert returning to the lineup, the Cavs’ bench didn’t bring the same punch we’re used to seeing. LeVert showed flashes in the third quarter, scoring all eight of his points during that stretch, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Atlanta’s relentless attack.

The Hawks’ reserves outscored Cleveland’s 50-28, further exposing a lack of depth on the Cavs’ side.

“They outplayed us. Plain and simple,” Atkinson said. “It wasn’t just their starters. It was their entire team. We’ve been good, but these last two games have shown us we’ve got work to do. And that’s fine — we’ll put in the work.”

The loss dropped the Cavs to 17-3, still a league-best record but one that suddenly doesn’t feel quite as dominant. Cleveland has now lost three of its last five games (yes, two to Atlanta). And for a team with championship aspirations, being outrebounded 53-40 and giving up 39 points in a third quarter that essentially decided the game isn’t exactly the blueprint.

Still, the locker room vibe remains positive, with Mitchell urging the group to stay the course.

“We’re fine,” he said. “This is part of it. You’re not going to be perfect every night. It’s about sticking together and being who we are. That’s how you get through this.”

For now, the Cavs will head back to Cleveland with some questions to answer but plenty of time to do so. After 20 games, yes, they’re still sitting pretty. But as these last two have shown, the margin for error at the top is smaller than ever in the Atkinson era.