The Atlanta Hawks rolled into Saturday night’s matchup against the red-hot Charlotte Hornets with some fresh faces and growing momentum. Fresh off a clutch win over the Utah Jazz, the Hawks were looking to build on that success-and they had reinforcements.
Jock Landale, who made an impact in his debut, was back in the mix, and newly-acquired veterans Buddy Hield and Gabe Vincent suited up for the first time in a Hawks uniform. They also welcomed back Onyeka Okongwu, a key piece in their frontcourt rotation.
But standing in their way? A Hornets squad that’s been scorching lately-winners of eight straight coming into this one and playing like one of the most confident teams in the league.
The Hawks wasted no time setting the tone. They came out firing from beyond the arc, with Okongwu surprisingly knocking down a pair of threes early.
That early offensive rhythm helped Atlanta control the pace, and they played with purpose on both ends. Zaccharie Risacher joined the party with strong offensive contributions, and Corey Kispert added a deep ball of his own to extend the lead.
Charlotte made a late push in the first, but the Hawks held steady and took a 35-32 edge into the second quarter.
The second frame saw both teams trading buckets, but the Hawks kept generating quality looks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker lobbed one up to Asa Newell for a highlight-reel finish, and Risacher kept his offensive rhythm going with a strong move in the paint.
Alexander-Walker later buried a three, showing signs of heating up. Things got chippy late in the quarter when Okongwu and Mousa Diabate got tangled up, earning matching technicals.
By halftime, the game was deadlocked at 60-a fitting score for two teams refusing to blink.
The third quarter started with a Hornets surge, as Charlotte built a seven-point lead. But the Hawks didn’t flinch.
Alexander-Walker, who had been relatively quiet early, found his rhythm and sparked a run. Jalen Johnson got downhill in transition and finished through contact for an and-one, while Risacher kept his shooting stroke intact.
Still, the Hornets had an answer, closing the quarter on a run of their own to take a 98-90 lead into the fourth.
Atlanta came out swinging in the final period. Landale opened things up with a three, and Johnson kept attacking-relentlessly driving to the rim and creating problems for Charlotte’s defense. Risacher stayed locked in from deep, and suddenly, the Hawks had reclaimed the lead.
But the Hornets weren’t done. They battled back with a series of tough finishes in the paint, regaining control late in the quarter.
With just over 30 seconds left, the Hawks had trimmed the deficit to three. Johnson, who had been a force all night, got to the line and calmly sank both free throws to cut it to one.
Atlanta opted not to call a timeout after LaMelo Ball hit a pair of free throws to push the lead back to three. Alexander-Walker got a clean look from deep to tie it-but it just didn’t fall. Brandon Miller sealed it at the line, and the Hornets walked away with a 124-119 win, pushing their win streak to nine games.
Despite the loss, there were plenty of positives for Atlanta. Johnson was outstanding, finishing with 31 points, nine boards, and eight assists-nearly posting a triple-double. Risacher added 18 points, continuing to show why the Hawks are so high on him, and Okongwu chipped in 16 in his return to the lineup.
The Hawks are still figuring out how all the new pieces fit, but there’s no question the talent is there. It’s about finding consistency-and with performances like this, even in a loss, they’re not far off.