The Hawks conquer East Group C in the NBA Cup with a win and a loss for the Bulls

ATLANTA – De’Andre Hunter scored 23 points off Atlanta’s bench and the Hawks beat Cleveland 117-101 in the NBA Cup on Friday, handing the Cavaliers a loss for the second time in three days.

Later Friday night, the Hawks clinched East Group C in the NBA Cup as Chicago lost to Boston. They became the first team from the East to secure a spot in the quarterfinals, joining the Rockets and Warriors from the West.

The Cavaliers (17-3) still have the best record in the NBA, but once again couldn’t keep up with the Hawks’ scoring depth. Trae Young had 21 points and 11 assists and Jalen Johnson added 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, helping Atlanta finish with six scorers in double figures.

Darius Garland led Cleveland with 29 points and Evan Mobley contributed 24 points, including seven dunks.

Atlanta won 135-124 in Cleveland on Wednesday night, with Young setting a career-high 22 assists. Young leads the NBA with 12.5 assists per game. He averaged 15.3 assists in his last six games, the most assists over a six-game span in Hawks history.

He also became the second player in the last 30 seasons to average 20 points and 15 assists in a two-game span against the team with the best record in the NBA. He joined Chris Paul in 2009 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Led by Hunter, Atlanta’s bench outscored Cleveland’s reserves 50-28.

After leading 52-50 at halftime, Clint Capela helped the Hawks take the lead in the third quarter. Capela scored three straight baskets and the Hawks extended the lead to 67-57.

The Hawks matched their single-quarter scoring record this season by outscoring the Cavaliers 39-23 in the third period. They also scored in the second quarter in a 121-116 win over the New York Knicks on November 6th.

Atlanta visits the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.