CJ McCollum made his case as Atlanta’s most dangerous weapon on Friday night, pouring in 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting as the Hawks blew out the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-102 at State Farm Arena — clinching the Southeast Division title in the process.
It is Atlanta’s first division crown since 2021, the same season the franchise reached the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks have spent the last four years grinding through the play-in tournament; Friday night marked a meaningful step back toward legitimate playoff contention.
The game turned decisively in the third quarter. Atlanta led 66-55 when the Hawks uncorked a 16-0 run that blew the game open, pushing the margin to 27 and effectively ending any drama for the evening’s final 20 minutes.
Atlanta has won 14 of its last 15 home games — a closing stretch that would make any playoff contender envious.
McCollum’s efficiency was the story of the night: 6-of-8 from three-point range, with the kind of controlled aggression that becomes critical when opponents need to key in on Jalen Johnson and Trae Young in playoff settings.
Dyson Daniels was everywhere around him, racking up just the second triple-double of his career — 13 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds — and finishing with a remarkable +36 plus-minus.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 18 points, while Johnson added 18 of his own before being rested for the final 10 minutes — a sign that Atlanta is already thinking beyond the regular season.
Cleveland, locked into the No. 4 seed regardless of Friday’s result, was also shorthanded. Donovan Mitchell sat with a right ankle injury, and starting center Jarrett Allen was out with a right knee issue. The Cavaliers shot just 26% from three-point range on 27 attempts — a number that, against a healthy team playing for something, leads to exactly this kind of outcome.
James Harden finished with 20 points and five assists in 25 minutes, while Jaylon Tyson returned from a 10-game absence to add 15 points off a start — a development worth monitoring for Cleveland’s first-round matchup.
Atlanta now sits fifth in the East at 46-35 and will visit Miami on Sunday to close the regular season. The Hawks enter the playoffs on the kind of home-court form — 14-1 in their last 15 at State Farm Arena — that gives them a legitimate path to a deep run.
