Hawks take down Cavaliers 136-119 in return from break

The Atlanta Hawks returned to game action following the All-Star break on Friday evening as the hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers. This was obviously the first game under interim coach Joe Prunty following the dismissal of Nate McMillan from the head coach posting earlier in the week. The Hawks came out on fire in the first game under Prunty, winning 136-119.

A 49-point second quarter highlighted the evening for the Hawks, as Atlanta raced out to 81 points in the first half and a commanding 24-point lead heading into the break.

Trae Young led the way with 18 points in the opening half, with Dejounte Murray adding 15 points and five assists.

Cleveland briefly made a run early in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Hawks 10-0 to start the period and getting the score back to 108-95. Atlanta however quickly responded with a 7-0 run to push the margin back to 20 points, effectively putting a lid on the comeback attempt. The Hawks were able to stabilize things from there and regain control of the game.

Young led the way with 34 points and nine assists in the win, with Murray adding 25 points and eight assists. Saddiq Bey added 19 points (5-of-8 from three). Darius Garland scored 33 points in the loss for the Cavaliers.

The Hawks will be back in action Sunday afternoon when they host the Brooklyn Nets.