Trae Young's torrid 2nd half carries Hawks past Cavs to earn playoff spot / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: USA Today Sports – Scanpix Credit USA Today Sports – Scanpix

All-Star guard Trae Young scored 32 of his game-high 38 points in the second half to spark the visiting Atlanta Hawks to a 107-101 (25-36, 26-25, 33-23, 23-17) victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the do-or-die play-in game Friday.

Player of the Game EFF 33 Trae Young Points 38 Accuracy 13-25 Rebounds 3 Assists 9

Atlanta earned the eighth seed and will face the top-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 is Sunday in Miami.

The season is over for the Cavaliers, who lost seven of their last nine games to close the season, including two play-in games.

The Hawks went on an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter to take command of the game after trailing by as many as 14 points in the first half.

Bogdan Bogdanovic added 19 points and five rebounds for Atlanta, while Danilo Gallinari added 14 points, Kevin Huerter had 13 and De'Andre Hunter tallied 10.

Lauri Markkanen had a team-high 26 points for Cleveland, while Darius Garland had 21 points and nine assists despite a 9-for-27 shooting. Evan Mobley added 18 points and Caris LeVert scored 16.

Jarrett Allen returned to the lineup for the Cavaliers after missing the last 19 games with a broken finger. He finished with 10 points.

Young's 3-pointer handed the Hawks their first lead in the game, 77-76, with 1:42 left in the third quarter.

Young had 16 points in the third quarter, and the score was knotted at 84 apiece heading into the final period.

Bogdanovic kept Atlanta afloat in the second quarter, as he fired in 10 of his team-high 14 first-half points.

Hawks center Clint Capela grabbed Mobley around the neck and officials checked for a flagrant foul with 30 seconds left in the first half. Mobley fell into Capela's right knee, and Capela limped off the court with the help of two Hawks teammates and didn't return.

Markkanen led all scorers with 17 points in the first half as the Cavaliers opened up a 61-51 lead.

Young had just six points in the first quarter and didn't score in the second. He averaged 32.5 points in four games against Cleveland during the regular season.

The Cavaliers outscored the Hawks from the 3-point line in the first half, 30-9.

Cleveland got off to a torrid start from the 3-point arc by making 6 of 7 to take a 26-14 lead with 4:05 left in the first quarter, with the margin eventually extending to 28-14.

Markkanen's long-range shooting was the difference in the early going, as he made 3 of 4 3-point attempts and had 11 points, as Cleveland led 36-25 after the opening quarter.

Hawks: Trae Young 38 (9 AST), Bogdan Bogdanovic 19 (5 REB), Danilo Gallinari 14, Kevin Huerter 13, De'Andre Hunter 10 (5 REB).

Cavaliers: Lauri Markkanen 26 (8 REB), Darius Garland 21 (9 AST), Evan Mobley 18 (8 REB, 5 AST), Caris LeVert 16 (5 AST), Jarrett Allen 11.

Wild game-ending

Full game highlights

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