NBA: Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers keep Hawks from clinching playoff bid

Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points, and Evan Mobley added 22 points with a career-high-tying 19 rebounds, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 122-116 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks in what could be an Eastern Conference playoff preview Wednesday night.

James Harden contributed 21 points on 6-of-23 shooting, while Jarrett Allen added 16 points for Cleveland (51-29), which is guaranteed to finish no lower than fourth in the East. The Cavaliers are now just half a game behind the third-place New York Knicks.

For the Hawks (45-35), Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 25 points, and Jonathan Kuminga chipped in 24 points off the bench. All-Star forward Jalen Johnson posted a double-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists before fouling out. Atlanta missed the chance to clinch a playoff spot and currently holds a slim half-game lead over the Toronto Raptors. Both teams still face the possibility of falling into the play-in tournament.

Cleveland has won four straight games and six of its past seven, while Atlanta has lost two in a row.

Alexander-Walker scored 10 points in a frantic fourth quarter as the Hawks tried to close a 105-87 deficit. They pulled within two points three times, the last being at 118-116 with 2:15 left after Kuminga made two free throws. Mitchell sealed the win with four clutch free throws.

The Cavaliers dominated the third quarter, outscoring Atlanta 44-20. Mitchell had 13 points and Harden nine, building a commanding 104-87 lead. The surge included a 17-3 run spanning halftime, featuring 10 points from Mitchell.

Atlanta had led briefly at 34-33 on Kuminga’s layup early in the second quarter and extended the gap to 67-60 by halftime. Kuminga shot 7 of 9 in the first half and scored 14 points, while Mitchell tallied 14 first-half points, including buzzer-beaters in both quarters. Mobley added 16 points and nine rebounds before the break.

Mobley set the tone early with 10 points and five rebounds in the first quarter, giving Cleveland a 33-29 lead. Johnson and Kuminga each had six points for Atlanta.

Cavaliers forward Jaylon Tyson (left great toe bone bruise) missed his 10th straight game, though coach Kenny Atkinson hasn’t ruled him out for the final two regular-season contests. Atlanta will also be without backup center Jock Landale (right high ankle sprain) at least until late April, following an injury sustained in a flagrant foul by Orlando Magic’s Goga Bitadze on April 1.

—Field Level Media/Reuters