Pregame: Cavs at Hawks

Cleveland Cavaliers (6-8) at Atlanta Hawks (11-5)
Time: 7 p.m.; Venue: Phillips Arena; TV/Radio: FS Ohio/WTAM, WAKR, WHBC
Cavs probables: PG Kyrie Irving, SG Anthony Parker, SF Omri Casspi, PF Antawn Jamison, C Anderson Varejao
Hawks probables: PG Jeff Teague, SG Joe Johnson, SF Marvin Williams, PF Josh Smith, C Jason Collins

Notes
* The Cavs had their worst showing of the season Friday against the Bulls, but have done a pretty good job of bouncing back in the next game after dismal performances. They've haven't had to do that on the second night of a back-to-back, however.

* It will be interesting to see how Byron Scott handles the backup center tonight. He seemed to get irritated with Semih Erden early Friday and went back to Samardo Samuels. He kept saying he'd be patient with Erden, and Erden has played better of late, so I'd assume he's still the backup center tonight. We'll see.

* Hawks coach Larry Drew, a former assistant under Scott, was just as disgusted with his team's performance in a 14-point loss at Philadelphia on Friday: "It got tough for us in the third quarter and we quit." No wonder he wks an assistant under Byron. The two have the same blunt approach with the media.

* The Hawks were terrible in the third quarter and let the game get away from them, which has been an ongoing problem. Drew has been unhappy with the Hawks' start to second halves dating back to last season. Something to watch tonight.

* More Drew: "I saw a pattern with it last year and I thought we had turned the corner with it this year. Not the fact that we lost the game, but the fact that it got tough for us and we did not respond. You could see it in our faces and see it in our body language.”

* Drew says he likes forcing the opponent to call the first timeout of the third quarter. That shows him the team is hustling, playing with energy, rebounding and doing all the little things to be successful.