It has been a very interesting offseason so far for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs have made some significant roster changes after losing to the Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals, and on Wednesday they hit the floor for their first preseason game. It was a sellout crowd at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, as the fans were anxious to see Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade in Cavaliers uniform. LeBron James did not play in this one due to a minor ankle injury he suffered earlier this week.
Big fourth quarter by the Hawks
The Cavaliers outscored the Hawks 28-20 in the first quarter and had a 13-point lead (42-29) midway through the second quarter.
At halftime, the score was 50-47 in favor of the home team. Atlanta held Cleveland to just 19 points in the third period, as they outscored them 28-19 and held a 75-69 lead heading into the final period of the game. The Hawks played even better in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cavaliers 34-24 in the final 12 minutes of the game. The final score was 109-93 for the Hawks team that connected on 48.8 percent of their shots from the field.
Dennis Schroder led all scorers in this game with 18 points and he also added four assists and two rebounds. Taurean Prince also played a good game for the Hawks as he finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Dewayne Dedmon contributed with 13 points and four rebounds.
For the Cavaliers, it was their backup point guard, Kay Felder, who led them in scoring. Felder scored 13 points off the bench in 19 minutes of playing time, while Kevin Love added 12 points, five rebounds and three assists for the Cavs.
The Grizzlies with an easy victory against the 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers played their first preseason game this year on Wednesday night, as they hosted the Memphis Grizzlies at the Wells Fargo Center.
The Grizzlies opened up the game with a 31-point first quarter and held a 31-25 lead after the first period of the game. Memphis held a 56-55 lead at halftime and heading into the fourth quarter their lead was 14 points as the score was 86-72 for the away team. The Grizzlies outscored the 76ers 24-17 in the fourth quarter and ended up winning this one easily 110-89.
Brandan Wright led the Grizzlies in scoring with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Andrew Harrison contributed with 14 points off the bench. JaMychal Green added 11 points in 14 minutes of playing time for Memphis.
Robert Covington was the leading scorer for Philadelphia on Wednesday night as he finished the game with 13 points and five rebounds. Jahlil Okafor added 13 points and 6 rebounds off the bench for the 76ers, while J.J.Redick finished with 11 points.
