Atlanta Hawks: 4 Observations from Cavaliers Game

Nov 21, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) defends against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) during the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 109-97. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

HAWKS COULD NOT CONTAIN KEVIN LOVE AND TRISTAN THOMPSON

Even without Timofey Mozgov, the Atlanta Hawks could not find a way to contain Kevin Love or Tristan Thompson. The Cavaliers owned the glass, out-rebounding the Hawks 51-38. Kevin Love recorded a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Tristan Thompson added 9 points and 16 rebounds.

The Atlanta Hawks rebounding efforts also took a big hit when Tiago Splitter missed the entire second half due to injury. One of the reasons the Hawks acquired Splitter was to better match up with teams like the Cavaliers. Also over the past few games, the Hawks have struggled to effectively box out to secure rebounds. That has to change going foward.

Al Horford and Paul Millsap are too undersized and not physical enough to contend with players like Thompson. Mike Budenholzer must devise a plan that creates mismatches for his players to exploit for the next contest between these two teams.

Next: Defensive Lapses