Instant Takeaways From The Hawks Loss Against The Cavs

1. Slow starts continue

This season, the Hawks have been falling behind in games early, and some have ended with wins and losses, but the last two have ended with wins. Today, however, the start was no different, as the Hawks fell behind by as much as 14 points to start the game, but still managed to come back, just as they had in the last two games. These slow starts have resulted in teams establishing comfortable leads, forcing the Hawks to go deep into their rotation early to fight back in games. The impact of Trae Young's injury was very apparent tonight, as the Hawks struggled to establish their regular sets offensively without their star point guard to run plays.

2. Taking care of the basketball

The Hawks' problems persist in terms of finding ways to beat themselves, as they finished the game with 23 turnovers, 33 points given up off turnovers, 13 second-chance points, and 27 fast-break points. If the Hawks want to be competitive, they must find ways to get off to a faster start in games. The way they've been starting has led to the team fighting their way back into games, which they were able to do again tonight, but ultimately fell short. It also doesn't help that they struggled as a team, missing 10 free throws.

3. Jalen Johnson strikes again

Johnson has been one of the more reliable players on the Hawks this season, if not the most dependable, as he has been dominant since the season started. Tonight, Johnson finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and one steal, shooting 62% from the field and 50% from three-point range. Johnson has been on triple-double watch the last few games, and with the season that he's having, he is on pace to make his first All-Star appearance.

4. Luke Kennard

Atlanta has desperately needed a consistent shooter, and Kennard has continuously stepped up for the Hawks in that regard. In the last few games, Kennard has come up big for the Hawks, making key shots and scoring 15 points on 83% shooting from the field, 100% from the free-throw line, and 75% from three-point range, including some big shots that helped take the lead.

5. Defending the three ball

Coming into this game, the Cavaliers were the fourth ranked team in the NBA in terms of three pointers attempted and tonight they attempted 57 to the Hawks 23. Donovan Mitchell alone made eight three pointers as a result of the Hawks lackadaisical defense on the perimeter as he finished the game with 37 points.

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