Hawks-Cavaliers Moved Back an Hour So Dream Can Host WNBA Finals Game 6

Thursday night’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers is moving back an hour so the Atlanta Dream can host Game 6 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena that afternoon, sources told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne on Monday.

The Dream and the Golden State Valkyries tip off at 12:30 p.m. ET. Hawks-Cavaliers follows at 8 p.m. ET instead of 7. A potential Game 7 stays put on Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Talks among the two leagues, the Hawks, State Farm Arena, both teams, and broadcast partners carried through the weekend.

“We are waiting to hear from the league if any changes can be made to allow us to play in State Farm Arena,” a Dream spokesperson told ESPN on Sunday. “If not, the game will be played in Gateway Center Arena.”

Gateway, the Dream’s regular-season home in College Park, seats roughly 3,500. No WNBA venue is smaller. Every one of Atlanta’s five home playoff games before this one had been played at 17,000-seat State Farm Arena instead.

“We continue to explore all options,” a WNBA spokesperson said that day.

Game 3 was moved up from Thursday to Wednesday, Oct. 21. The Dream won it 97-71 in front of a sellout.

For Game 4 on Saturday, the arena needed time to change the court before the Hawks’ home opener, so the Finals game went from 3:30 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. and the Hawks pushed their own tip back 30 minutes. Golden State won 67-62.

Sources on all sides told ESPN they were frustrated that Game 6 had not been settled before Game 4.

“This should’ve been solved weeks ago, and definitely at the same time Games 3 and 4 were solved,” one source said.

Thursday will now become another same-day WNBA-NBA turnaround at State Farm Arena.

The other plan under strong consideration would have moved Game 6 to Friday, Oct. 30, at State Farm Arena and a potential Game 7 to Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Chase Center.

The WNBA would back it only if both teams signed off, sources said Sunday. Golden State had concerns about moving two Finals games and about the three off days the plan would have left between Games 5 and 6 and again between Games 6 and 7.

“We’re proud to be part of such a compelling Finals and love seeing the growth of the game,” a Valkyries spokesperson said in a statement. “We fully support what’s best for the league and will stand behind whatever it decides.”

Playing Game 7 on Nov. 3 would also have run into a recent NBA policy against games on Election Day. Sources did not consider that a strong concern.

The Hawks were open to hosting another doubleheader, sources said. On Sunday, the league viewed a weekday afternoon Finals game as less desirable than a weekend matinee like Game 4.

Steve Koonin, the CEO of the Hawks and State Farm Arena, told 92.9 The Game that the arena had offered multiple dates for Game 6 but that rescheduling was solely a league decision.

“The fact we are making these decisions so we can play a WNBA game at a larger arena is the best news of all,” another source told ESPN. “It just has to be scheduled better in advance. Moving games is much harder now than it would have been a week ago.”

Thursday’s Hawks-Cavaliers game was already the back half of a back-to-back for both clubs.

Atlanta hosts the Miami Heat at State Farm Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Cleveland is home that night, too.

Sending the game to Cleveland had been discussed, which would have given the Hawks a home-road back-to-back.

Instead, the game remains in Atlanta with a later start.

Earlier this month, the Dream announced they will become a full-time tenant at State Farm Arena beginning in 2027.

The Dream reached the Finals 5-0, sweeping the Washington Mystics and the New York Liberty, then lost Game 1 68-64 in San Francisco on Oct. 17.

Two nights later came the first Finals win in franchise history, 79-65.

Golden State is in its second season. It got past the Dallas Wings in three games before sweeping the Las Vegas Aces.

Both franchises are after their first WNBA title.

Game 5 is Monday at Chase Center. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on USA, Peacock, and CNBC.