Trae Young gets injured, comes back to ease past Cedi Osman-led Cavaliers / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: AP - Scanpix | Basketnews illustration Credit AP - Scanpix | Basketnews illustration

Trae Young put up 30 points and nine assists to help the Atlanta Hawks (40-37) win their fourth straight game and clinch at worst a spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with a 131-107 (36-28, 30-25, 34-22, 31-32) win over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers (42-35) on Thursday.

Player of the Game EFF 29 Trae Young Points 30 Accuracy 9-17 Rebounds 2 Assists 9

Young shot 9-for-17 from the field, hitting four 3-pointers, and 8-for-8 at the line in only 28 minutes. It was the 32nd time that Young scored at least 30 points this season.

Atlanta (40-37) has won nine of its last 12 games to move into a tie with the idle Charlotte Hornets for the No. 9 spot in the East. Cleveland (42-35) has lost two straight and five of its last six.

The Hawks, who never trailed, won three of the four games against Cleveland this season.

Atlanta's Kevin Huerter scored 23 points, his fourth straight game with at least 20 points. Both Hawks centers had double-doubles: Clint Capela with 12 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks, and Onyeka Okongwu with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Cleveland was led by Cedi Osman, who came off the bench to score 21. Darius Garland added 18 points and eight assists. Moses Brown tied a season-high with 15 points and grabbed a season-best 13 rebounds.

Kevin Love made a pair of 3-pointers to pass Kyle Korver with the most treys off the bench in a single season in Cleveland history (154).

Atlanta had great success pounding the ball inside in the first quarter, as Capela had eight points and eight rebounds to help the Hawks jump out to a 36-28 lead.

Atlanta built the lead to 13 points on a floater by Okongwu at 8:21, and the Cavs cut the deficit to single digits one more time before the half, which Atlanta led 66-53.

The Hawks scored the first seven points of the third quarter to push the lead to 20 points and led by as many as 26 in the period.

Hawks: Trae Young 30 (5/8 2PT, 4/9 3PT, 8/8 FT, 9 AST), Kevin Huerter 23 (5/6 3PT), Onyeka Okongwu 17 (6/6 2PT, 5/6 FT, 12 REB), Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot 12 (5/5 FT), Clint Capela 12 (5/9 2PT, 14 REB, 3 BLK), Bogdan Bogdanovic 11 (3/7 3PT).

Cavaliers: Cedi Osman 21 (4/4 2PT, 3/6 3PT, 6 REB, 4 AST), Darius Garland 18 (6/17 2PT, 8 AST), Moses Brown 15 (5/7 2PT, 5/6 FT, 13 REB), Brandon Goodwin 11 (4/7 2PT).

Full game highlights:

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