The Cavaliers aren’t the kind of opponent likely to inspire the Hawks to find the the “playoff mode” coach Larry Drew is seeking as the regular season draws to a close.
That was the concern for Drew after he said his team “played as if we can turn it on at any point” during a lackluster victory against Orlando Saturday. It took a while for the Hawks to find their form against the struggling Cavaliers, but they eventually did enough to secire a 102-94 victory Monday at Philips Arena.
“We want to get back to just grinding defensive possessions out,” Drew said. “I thought we did a little better job tonight (but) not what I was hoping. I thought we had some breakdowns tonight. As we wind this thing down we need to get back to where we not focus on our offense as much as our defense. That got us into a little bit of trouble tonight.”
The Hawks (42-33) won consecutive games for the first time since March 15 and 17. Forward Josh Smith finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists and guard Devin Harris scored a team-high 25 points and added seven assists and three steals.
The Hawks entered the game percentage points behind Chicago for fifth place in the Eastern Conference and 1 1/2 games back of Brooklyn for fourth. The homestand continues with the Knicks Wednesday and the Sixers Friday.
“We have to come out and handle our business and not focus so much on the opposition but on what we need to do,” Drew said before Monday’s game. “I think if we do that, we will be in good shape. The last thing we can do is come out and play as if some of these teams not in the playoffs (race) are going to roll over for us.”
The Cavs (22-51) never did, not even after Atlanta seemingly buried them with a third-quarter flurry to put them at a 74-60 deficit.
Cleveland cut Atlanta’s lead to eight with less than five minutes to go. Jeff Teague (19 points, nine assists) answered with a 3-pointer and then fed Harris for a layup that pushed Atlanta’s lead to 96-83.
Cleveland made one last run, pulling within 99-93 with 43.4 seconds to play. Smith made two free throws to hold off the Cavaliers.
Cleveland tried to overcome its talent deficit by playing a zone defense and engaging the Hawks in a scrappy, physical game. The tone was set when Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson was ejected after he was called for two technical fouls in the second quarter.
“It’s one of those things they forced us to play the same way and then they were complaining that they were getting hit and getting fouled,” Hawks center Al Horford said. “But that’s kind of the only shot they had to compete with us, but we pulled it out. I think we kept our composure.”
The Hawks looked sharpest when Harris and Teague used their speed advantage. Harris had seven points and Teague five points and two assists during the 16-4 run during the third quarter.
Harris knocked the Cavaliers off balance early by pushing the pace, driving aggressively to the basket and drawing fouls with crafty pump-fakes. He scored 11 points in the first quarter, including five free throws.
“Devin did a phenomenal job from start to finish,” Drew said. “Whenever we got into a little bit of trouble, he made some timely plays.”
The Hawks have stayed above water in spite of season-ending injuries to Lou Williams and Zaza Pachulia and various ailments for a handful of other regulars. They survived a stretch of the schedule from late February to late March that included a pair of long road trips.
“We have to kind of feel good about where we are because the last month has been a very tough stretch for us,” Drew said. “I’d like to think we have weathered a big storm. Now that we are back home, we’ve got to feel good about that.”
With seven regular-season games left to play, Drew said he planned to start limiting minutes for his regulars and perhaps resting them.
“I haven’t decided who yet, when yet, but it’s a (high) probability that’s going to happen,” he said.
NOTES
—Horford was back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a stomach illness. He had 16 points on 8 of 13 shooting and six rebounds in 29 minutes before fouling out. “I feel OK,” he said. “It was important to get back on the floor and try to get my timing back.”
—Hawks rookie guard John Jenkins missed his second game since suffering what the team called a mild concussion at Boston Friday. Coach Larry Drew said the league’s concussion policy mandates a minimum five-day window in which Jenkins is evaluated by medical staff before he can be cleared to play.
—Hawks forward Kyle Korver extended his streak of consecutive games with a made 3-pointer to 68 games to tie Reggie Miller for fifth place on the NBA’s all-time list. Dennis Scott is fourth all-time with 78 consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer made.
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