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CLEVELAND – The Cavaliers played selflessly, aggressively and together for the first time this season.
They almost always do for Larry Drew.
Rodney Hood scored 26 points, a record in the season, Cedi Osman added 20 and Cleveland ended his series of six consecutive defeats by beating the Atlanta Hawks 136-114 on Tuesday night in the first game of the Cavs since the dismissal from his trainer Tyronn Lue. .
Cleveland was the only non-win NBA team and Lue paid the club's slow start price in his first season since LeBron James left the Cavs for the second time.
But while Drew was their "interim" coach as he tried to restructure his contract, the Cavs were playing a full game – Cleveland had seven double-digit players – and avoided their first start at 0-7 since 1995-96.
"I really did not know what was going to happen tonight," said Drew. "I just wanted these guys trying to put the first six games behind them as quickly as possible and that they're ready to turn the chapter with a new season. They went out and took up the challenge.
The Cavs have improved to 10-1 over the last two years under Drew, who replaced last season while Lue was battling health problems.
Before the match, Drew said he was "very disappointed". The Cavs had not yet agreed to ask him to redo his contract if he wanted to lead them through a promising season. If the owner of Cleveland, Dan Gilbert or General Manager Koby Altman, needed further proof that Drew was catching the attention of his players, they had it.
"L. D. has always had a voice, "said Hood. "It's not such a big voice, but it's a guy who went through the wars and he knows how to get the guys in a position to succeed. I think it was more our idea to forget the first six games and play well. Whatever the results, let's play well. Tonight was a good step forward. "
George Hill and rookie Collin Sexton scored 17 goals each, and Tristan Thompson had 13 rebounds for Cleveland.
Rookie Trae Young scored 24 and Alex Len 22 for the Hawks. Young scored a 35-point record against the Cavs on Oct. 21, destroying their home opener.
But Atlanta made 22 turnovers and the Hawks defense was mediocre in the second half when the Cavs scored 78 points.
"Tale of two halves," said Young. "Started the match, matched their efforts, matched their intensity. We had a really good first half and then they made some adjustments. We were not ready to play and could not finish it. "
The Cavs have played their third game away without striker Kevin Love, who could miss several weeks due to a painful left foot injury that's bothering him since the pre-season game. The star player five times says that doctors are still trying to choose the best treatment and have not yet been told he will need surgery.
Until the return of Love, the Cavs will have to replace his 19 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. Someone needs to take over, and Hood could be the guy.
It has been debated after coming to Cleveland at the trade deadline since Utah and never found its pace. But he had his best game for Cleveland against the Hawks, attacking the basket and reversing the four points to 3.
"It's the Rodney Hood I know," said Drew. "Rodney is a passive guy by nature. That's what he is, but he's a very talented and very skilled guy. When he is as aggressive as he is, he is hard to defend. He can do the 3, turn the corner and go to the basket. When he gets his mid-range match, he really stands up. But I thought that he had really started with an assault that lasted throughout the match. "
TIP-INS
Hawks: Atlanta made 15 3 points. The Hawks dropped a franchise record of 22 shots in their previous visit. Young entered the game in second place among the beginners in score (18.3) and first in assist (7.0). … played back-to-back matches for the first time this season.
Riders: Sexton added eight rebounds and three assists. … Drew said he would consider playing together with Thompson and Larry Nance Jr. It's an experiment with two great men that involves risks. "One of them will have to shoot a few shots," Drew said. "But I did not exclude it completely." … F Kyle Korver has reached 11,000 career points.
SMITH SITS
Cavs forward J.R. Smith did not play at all. The third time, he does not have the floor. Smith was sitting at the end of the bench with his warming hood pulled over his head.
ALL STAR SELECTION
The Cavs will host the NBA All-Star Game 2022, a person familiar with the selection told The Associated Press.
The league will be making the announcement later this week. Cleveland has submitted an offer to organize a previous event, but the ongoing construction at Quicken Loans Arena has made this impossible.
Cleveland hosted the last game of the stars in 1997.
FOLLOWING
Hawks: Welcome Sacramento on Thursday.
Riders: Welcome Atlanta Thursday.
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