Hawks Clinch Playoff Spot and Southeast Division Title

The Atlanta Hawks are officially in. CJ McCollum turned back the clock with 29 points and Dyson Daniels delivered his second career triple-double — 13 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds — as Atlanta demolished the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-102 on Friday night.

With the win, the Hawks clinched a guaranteed top-6 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Southeast Division title. It's their first division crown since 2021, the year they made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals. After four straight years of play-in tournament basketball, Atlanta finally has some postseason stability.

The Hawks used a dominant third quarter to blow the game open. This is the kind of statement win that makes teams uncomfortable heading into the playoffs — especially Cleveland, who looked flat and disengaged for most of the night.