Cavs at Hawks: How to watch, odds, and injury report

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 8: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 8, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images The Cleveland Cavaliers are all but locked into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with the New York Knicks win over the Boston Celtic s on Thursday evening.

For the Cavs to move up, they’d have to win both of their last two games, while New York would have to lose their final two games. As it stands, it seems like the Cavs will be in the fourth seed, which would likely give them an easier path through the Eastern Conference. Because they’re basically locked into their preferred spot, there’s little downside in trying to keep momentum going with what they hope is another positive showing against the Atlanta Hawks — a possible first-round opponent.

This game means something for the Hawks. They’ve fallen to the sixth spot in the standings and could drop further if they were to lose this one as well. The Cavs deployed several matchup-specific schemes against the Hawks on Wednesday .

This included aggressively cheating off of Atlanta’s average to below-average three-point shooters and using James Harden to guard their opposing center. It’ll be interesting to see how both teams adjust to Wednesday’s game. Support us and Let ‘Em Know with Homage!