The Cavaliers have had an injury-riddled year and just lost their star center Anderson Varejao for the next six to eight weeks with a leg injury. They also were without C.J. Miles, Daniel Gibson and Luke Walton. They have missed Kyrie Irving for most of the season too, but he showed up to play against the Hawks. He scored eighteen of his game-high 33 points in the third quarter to help the Cavs' pull away from the Hawks for good. Rookie Tyler Zeller had a double-double, scoring eleven points and pulling down twelve rebounds. Tristan Thompson also recorded a double-double, scoring eleven points and grabbing fourteen rebounds. Alonzo Gee added fifteen points as the Cavaliers improved their record to 9-28.
The Hawks kept it close in the first quarter, but then had their usual horrible quarter in the second scoring only twelve points and being down by nine at halftime. They tied it up in the third before Irving went on his scoring frenzy and the Hawks were done after that. The game was best summed up midway through the fourth quarter when Josh Smith missed two free throws and the Hawks lackadaisically jogged back on defense.
Smith led the Hawks in scoring with seventeen points. He was followed by Jeff Teague who had fifteen, Al Horford had fourteen and Kyle Korver chipped in with twelve. Zaza Pachulia led the Hawks with ten rebounds. Devin Harris returned after missing eleven games but he didn't score in twelve minutes of action. The Hawks were still without Anthony Morrow and DeShawn Stevenson, who missed the game with a sore knee.
The Hawks are now 20-14 on the season and have lost four straight games. They will return home to face the Utah Jazz on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. The Jazz are 19-18 on the year and have won their past two games. Former Hawk Marvin Williams will miss the game in his return to Philips Arena.
Josh Smith drives to the lane against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Smith scored seventeen points in the loss.
Photo Courtesy of sports.yahoo.com
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