Cavs’ De’Andre Hunter drops hammer on Hawks with authoritative slam

De’Andre Hunter pulled off an amazing dunk in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA Cup matchup against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Hunter is going through the seventh season of his NBA career, his second with the Cavaliers. After coming off the bench upon his arrival, he secured a starting spot this year as he provides solid perimeter shooting and defending with his length and athleticism.

The wing’s highlight took place in the first minute of the second quarter. Hunter went inside the paint as Lonzo Ball delivered him the ball. It was there when he leapt in the air and threw down the one-handed dunk over Mohamed Gueye.

DE’ANDRE HUNTER DROPS THE HAMMER pic.twitter.com/ARbYy7KdiW

— Cavs Nation (@CavsNationCP) November 29, 2025

How De’Andre Hunter, Cavaliers played 1st half vs. Hawks

Despite De’Andre Hunter’s impressive dunk highlight, the Cavaliers were unable to conclude their time in the NBA Cup group stage with a win. They lost 130-123 to the Hawks.

Both teams traded blows throughout the first half. Atlanta landed the opening punch with a 33-23 lead after the first quarter before Cleveland responded by taking the halftime lead. However, their poor defense in the third quarter proved to be costly as they were unable to spark a run to take back the momentum.

Ball movement, turnovers and fast break points made the difference in this matchup. The Hawks prevailed in all three categories by creating 36 assists, limiting their turnovers to 14 and scoring 36 fast break points. It wasn’t the same for the Cavaliers as they dished out 29 assists, turned the ball over 17 times and produced just 17 points on the fast break.

Four players scored in double-digits for Cleveland in the loss, including Hunter. Donovan Mitchell torched the nets with a stat line of 42 points, three rebounds, three assists, and a steal. He shot 15-of-28 from the field, including 7-of-15 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. Evan Mobley came next with 20 points and 14 rebounds, Hunter had 16 points and four rebounds, while Darius Garland provided 15 points and 10 assists.

Cleveland fell to a 12-8 record on the season, holding the fifth spot of the Eastern Conference standings. They are in a three-way tie with the Hawks and Orlando Magic while trailing the New York Knicks by one game.

The Cavaliers will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being at home. They host the Boston Celtics on Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

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