Dribbles: Cavs offer glimpse of playoff version in win over Hawks

CLEVELAND — Random dribbles from the Cavaliers’ 122-116 hard-fought home win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

1. That third quarter? That is who the Cavaliers need to be in the playoffs. And potentially against these very Atlanta Hawks (at least in the first round).

2. Interestingly, it was the Hawks who really needed to win this game. The Cavs? Not so much. But they went out and took it anyway — then held on in the fourth quarter.

3. Coach Kenny Atkinson clearly didn’t love the first half. The Cavs trailed by five, and even that took a Donovan Mitchell bank shot at the halftime buzzer. Atkinson said the Cavs were “too passive defensively” in the first 24 minutes. That would be hard to argue.

4. It quickly changed in the third quarter, and all it really came down to was activity and effort. The Cavs blew past Atlanta by a 44-20 count in the third. The defense led to offense, and that is precisely how you win in the postseason.

5. As of today, the Cavs (51-29) are the No. 4 seed in the East, though now just a half-game behind the No. 3 Knicks. The Hawks (45-35) are the No. 5 seed, though now just a half-game ahead of the No. 6 Raptors.

6. Both the Cavs and Hawks want to avoid seeds Nos. 3 and 6, respectively. No one has told me that — but it’d only make sense. The Celtics are the No. 2 seed. So if you finish third or sixth, well, there stands a chance you could run into playoff-savvy Boston in the second round. 

7. Yes, more people would rather face the top-seeded Pistons than the Celtics (again, in the second round). So that means the Cavs and Hawks would prefer to stay right where they are. 

8. I suspect they will. I suspect this is the first-round series we will see: Cleveland vs. Atlanta. So consider this a bit of a statement game from the Cavs.

9. More Atkinson: “I loved the rep we got tonight. That was a playoff-type game. … We did a lot of good things. Obviously, we gotta clean some stuff up, too. But I loved the rep.”

10. It’s hard to pick an MVP from this one, as so many guys delivered in a playoff-type setting. Mitchell carried the offense with 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting. Evan Mobley was magnificent at both ends, recording 22 points and tying his career-high with 19 rebounds (also against Atlanta).

11. As Atikinson said, “I thought Evan played with force.” And the Cavs will need that every last minute of every game in about two weeks. Not 22 and 19, necessarily, but the THREAT of it. Mobley was also strong defensively, swatting a game-high three shots and just generally protecting the paint.

12. There’s more. James Harden didn’t shoot particularly well (just 6-of-23), but still scored 21 points and did so many other things well. “I feel so comfortable with the ball in his hands at the end of games,” Atkinson said.

13. Atkinson cited Harden’s ability to make the right play, and yes, knock down free throws. He’s 86 percent for his career (5-of-5 on Wednesday).

14. There’s more, as Jarrett Allen finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, despite what looked like a quiet-ish night. Atkinson indicated Allen is still working through some struggles with the knee injury that shut him down much of last month. I’d be surprised if he plays in either of the final two.

15. That’s not any inside info, by the way. Just a gut feeling. But my gut also sometimes tells me to go to Taco Bell at midnight … so let’s just say it’s not always super wise.

16. Dean Wade returned from an ankle injury (after stepping on a ball boy’s foot) and also brought some real energy. He scored eight points and just made an all-around impact by doing the little things. That’s Wade for ya.

17. Atkinson used nine players, and I sense this very well could be the playoff rotation. But again, that’s the gut speaking.

18. The Hawks have been one of the league’s hottest teams, winning 18 of the past 22. The last two that they lost (Knicks and Cavs, respectively) have basically gone down to the wire. They’re no joke. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the way with 25 points, and newcomer Jonathan Kuminga was dynamite with 24.

19. The Cavs have two games left — again against the Hawks, Friday in Atlanta, before closing it out at home against the woeful Wizards on Sunday. It might be in their best interest to rest the main guys and just try not too, too hard to … well, you know, win.

20. That said, Atkinson suggested some of the starters like to play in the final game to “stay in rhythm” before the playoffs. “We definitely gotta look at our situation, everyone’s situation,” he said. “We’re gonna get together (Thursday) morning and decide on our plan.”

21. In the event this was indeed a first-round preview, Atkinson said he saw one big positive. “Keeping that team off the glass, limiting their possessions,” he said. “If we play these guys in the playoffs, that’s their No. 1 strength. And we kind of mitigated that tonight.”

BOX SCORE | Cavs 122, Hawks 116