Thursday night’s game with the Atlanta Hawks continued an unsettling trend. The Cleveland Cavaliers trailed by double-digits for a fourth consecutive game. And while they were able to pull wins out of the other three, this one did not quite go the same. Not completely. 

In the words of the team's announcer, Brad Daugherty:

“Terrible for your cardiovascular system to go through this every night.” — Daugherty on the Cavs coming from double-digits down to win three straight games (during Hawks broad

The fact of the matter is, the defense was great to begin. A 28-16 first-quarter lead, increased to 31-16 in the second, totally evaporated. They allowed 43 points in the third, and really just could not get stops. It matters not that they scored 38, because they totally lost their groove on the other end of the floor.

Here are my three major takeaways from Cleveland’s battle with Atlanta on Thursday night.

1) This Team Has Yet To Put It Together For 48 Minutes

Against the Sixers on opening night, it was blowing a 29-point lead. Versus the Nets in the home opener, it was nearly blowing a 20+ point lead. The showdown with the Wolves saw an impressive comeback and overtime win, but a struggle to stop the attack. And then the Wizards game needed fourth quarter heroics again.

This Hawks battle was an ugly one. The only player out was Meleek Thomas, but it seemed the entire team was just sort of off. Nobody could turn it up on both ends when they’d need it. A couple of missed calls here and there stunted the runs. Peyton Watson’s foul trouble affected the defense greatly, and there were some questionable rotation decisions.

Five games into 2026-27, and there has not yet been a 48-minute performance by the Cavaliers. They failed to deliver at the end of a tough one against Atlanta.

2) Cleveland Needs Leadership From Their Backcourt

The first two games of the season saw a litany of turnovers from both James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. They were giving it up a whole lot more than they were connecting with teammates, costing the team valuable possessions. After two games of starting to get things right, they could not find their efficiency against Atlanta.

It isn’t just the statistics, though. There was a bit of an awkward moment in the third quarter where a pass intended for Mario Hezonja in the corner was inadvertently intercepted (and shot) by Mitchell. The star has to encourage looks for their teammates, not quite take them. And while it was probably not intentional, it’s still not a good look.

Donovan Mitchell appeared to just steal the ball (and shot) from Mario Hezonja...pic.twitter.com/14xCyqMxA3 https://t.co/besBJZagCq

— Across The Cavs (@AcrossCavs) October 30, 2026

Harden only dished out four assists in this game. Considering how much he has the rock, it really isn’t ideal. Mitchell didn’t have any TO’s, but only had two assists. Another high usage guard, he has to make sure he’s finding his bigs.

It’s the role of Harden and Mitchell to keep Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen involved. Nobody else can do it for them. And that wasn’t the case tonight, an unfortunate theme of this campaign.

On the plus side, both guards were getting some baskets down the stretch of this game. But, there are a lot of things they will have to improve on over the course of the 48.

And when the game was on the line, Mitchell missed two good looks from deep.

3) Meleek Thomas’ Presence Was Missed

It’s crazy to say after five games, but the Cavaliers rookie Meleek Thomas has had a major impact here. He has scored 26 points 39 minutes over two appearances, but done so many other things. Jarrett Allen said the rookie’s presence had him working harder. Donovan Mitchell has sung all of his praises.

Kenny Atkinson did say that when he returns, Thomas is going to get even more playing time. To get so high up in the rotation here so early is invaluable. Tyrese Proctor did look good on the floor, but it wasn’t the same. Because it was a very off-night from Jaylon Tyson, the slack wasn’t fully picked up behind Sam Merrill and his sharp 3PT shooting. Mario Hezonja had some moments, but wasn't out there in crunch time.

His energy was missed on both ends of the floor. When they play Milwaukee on Saturday, they’ll happily have him back.

Looking Ahead…

The Bucks are next on Saturday on the road. Then the team is back home to face the Thunder on Monday.

No back-to-back sets until next weekend.

PS: They might want to work on boxing out.