Trae Young delivered an impressive 22 assists, leading the Hawks to a surprising 135-124 victory over the Cavaliers, marking only Cleveland's second defeat of the season.

Trae Young delivered an impressive performance with a career-high 22 assists, the highest in the NBA this season, while also contributing 20 points. His efforts helped the Atlanta Hawks defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 135-124 on Thursday night, handing Cleveland just its second loss of the season. The Cavaliers now stand at 17-2, suffering their first defeat at home after winning 11 straight games. De'Andre Hunter added 26 points, and Jalen Johnson chipped in with 22 for the Hawks, who executed crucial plays in the final moments to surprise the Cavs. Rookie Zachcharie Risacher, the top pick in this year's draft, made a significant impact by scoring 13 of his 17 points within the first three minutes of the second half. For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell led with 30 points, while Evan Mobley contributed 22 points and 13 rebounds, as the team aimed to become the first to start the season 18-1 or better.

Key takeaways for the Hawks include Young's ability to involve his teammates despite a less-than-stellar shooting night (6 of 18). This victory ended a three-game losing streak for Atlanta and marked their second significant road win this season, following a previous win in Boston on November 12 without Young. On the Cavaliers' side, they displayed some vulnerability at home after a dominant run, having built an early 19-point lead that may have led to overconfidence.

A pivotal moment occurred when the Hawks were up by four; Young, who had just turned the ball over, managed to regain control and hit a remarkable 39-foot 3-pointer, extending the lead to 129-122 with 1:23 remaining. Notably, Atlanta's Dyson Daniels leads the NBA in steals at 3.13 per game, a feat not achieved by any player since Alvin Robertson averaged 3.04 steals in the 1990-91 season. Looking ahead, the teams will face off again in a “Black Friday” NBA Cup game in Atlanta, with the Hawks (2-1) tied for first in Group C and the Cavaliers (1-1) having two games left in pool play.