ATLANTA (AP) — Onyeka Okongwu scored a season-high 29 points and had 12 rebounds, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 114-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.
Atlanta snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 3-3, and halted Cleveland’s three-game winning streak. The Cavs are 3-2.
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Donovan Mitchell cut Atlanta’s lead to one on a driving layup with 20.6 seconds remaining. Nickeil Alexander-Walker made two free throws with 15.3 left to take the lead back to three and Mitchell got two potential tying looks off on the final possession, but misfired on both.
Alexander-Walker added 25 points for Atlanta, and Aaron Wiggins scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting off the bench.
James Harden led Cleveland with 24 points, followed by Mitchell with 22. Sam Merrill shot 4 of 8 from 3-point range for the Cavaliers.
Cleveland darted out to a 15-point first quarter lead, the fourth consecutive game the Hawks have trailed by at least 15 points.
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Atlanta’s 16 first-quarter points were its lowest mark for any period so far this season, but it quickly turned the tables by forcing Cleveland into its joint-lowest scoring quarter of the season, also with 16.
Atlanta rallied with a 19-2 run in the second quarter, flipping a 35-24 deficit into a 43-37 lead.
The game was the second half of a doubleheader at State Farm Arena after the Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals.
Cavaliers: At Milwaukee on Saturday night.
Hawks: At New Orleans on Saturday night.
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