Atlanta @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 23, 2019 ) Atlanta 118, Cleveland 121

The Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping to go into the All-Star break with a victory, but their recent performances suggest they are moving further away from the win column. The Cavaliers will attempt to take advantage of another team trying to figure things out when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

Cleveland dropped each of its last six games and 13 of 14, culminating with a 133-92 home setback to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday that marked the worst home loss in franchise history. "They came in strong and we were not good and way out of sync in so many ways," Cavaliers coach John Beilein told reporters after watching his team suffer its 12th consecutive home setback despite the debut of center Andre Drummond. "While it is not acceptable to us, it's understandable given the new dynamic of our team." Atlanta made moves to address its interior as well, bringing in centers Clint Capela and Dewayne Dedmon, but the defense is still a work in progress. Capela (heel) has yet to make his team debut and is not expected to play until after the All-Star break while Dedmon collected 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench on Monday but could not keep Atlanta from dropping a 135-126 decision at the Orlando Magic.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: FS Ohio, FS Southeast

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (13-40): Cleveland made one of the more shocking moves in front of the deadline last week by bringing in Drummond, who averages a double-double but will cost the rebuilding squad nearly $29 million next season, and fitting in with his new team will take some time. "I think we're going to be a really good team," Drummond told reporters. "Have to work out my kinks. It was my first game here, we had no practice time, so it was expected for us to come out and look lost, obviously. We were trying to figure out plays and I didn't really know any plays yet. Defensively we are still trying to figure each other out and where we need to be." The Cavaliers had two full days of practice to get on the same page and are trying to blend veterans like Drummond and Kevin Love up front with youngsters Darius Garland and Collin Sexton in the backcourt.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (15-40): Atlanta was playing the second night of a back-to-back after a double-overtime victory over New York on Sunday and ran out of gas late, allowing the Magic to score 42 points in the fourth quarter. Encouraging signs came from Dedmon and fellow newcomer Jeff Teague, who - like Dedmon - is on his second stint with the franchise and handed out 11 of the team's season-high 33 assists in the setback. "What we're striving to be is a championship organization, and we will be," Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce told reporters. "But we have to go through these phases and we have to go through these stretches. I'm a supporter of all of our guys, their character, their growth on and off the court and that's the most important thing that I do as a coach."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hawks rookie SG Cam Reddish (concussion) returned from a four-game absence on Monday and delivered 11 points in 24 minutes.

2. Cavaliers rookie SG Kevin Porter Jr. scored in double figures in each of his last six games, pushing his season average to 9.6 points.

3. Cleveland held off Atlanta 121-118 at home on Dec. 23 behind a combined 46 points from Sexton and Garland.

PREDICTION: Hawks 129, Cavaliers 121