The Atlanta Hawks kept their run going Friday night, shaking off a rough opening stretch to rally past the Brooklyn Nets in a game that turned sharply once Atlanta settled in. What started as a problem-filled first half ended with the Hawks in control, as they pulled away late for their fourth straight win.
Brooklyn came out firing and made Atlanta pay from deep early. The Nets hit nine threes in the first half at a 50% clip, and their 70 first-half points marked their highest-scoring first quarter or first half of the season. They piled up 37 points in the opening quarter alone, while the Hawks were stuck shooting 36% from the field in that first frame and fell behind by as many as 17.
Atlanta’s response came after halftime. The Hawks had initially tried to take away the paint, but that approach opened the door for Brooklyn’s perimeter shooting before Atlanta tightened things up and closed in on the three-point line.
From there, the game flipped. The Hawks slowed the Nets down, forced turnovers, pushed the pace and got back to attacking the basket the way they wanted.
Jalen Johnson was right in the middle of it. After spraining his ankle on Halloween, he returned looking like he never left, giving Brooklyn problems inside even when the jumper wasn’t falling. He had 14 points at halftime and finished with 30 points, seven rebounds, six assists and one steal on 64% shooting.
The fourth quarter belonged to Atlanta. The Hawks entered the period down by as many as seven, then outscored Brooklyn by 14 in the final frame. In the last minute, they ripped off a 10-0 run to slam the door on the comeback.
By the end, Atlanta had scored 28 points off Brooklyn’s 22 turnovers and piled up an eye-popping 70 points in the paint. The Hawks will be back at home Monday against the probable MVP Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.
In Other News...
Nets Still Have A Rookie Availability Problem After Hawks Win
Brooklyns rookie rotation remains a moving target as the Nets head into their next game against the Dallas Mavericks. Egor Demin will sit out because of a right leg bone bruise, leaving the team to manage another absence in a young backcourt that has already had to adjust on the fly.
Mikel Brown Jr. is also expected to miss the matchup, this time because of a minutes restriction, keeping the Nets from leaning on another first-year option. Both rookies are viewed as possible return candidates for Brooklyns next game against the New Orleans Pelicans, but for now the team is still waiting for a clearer picture on how much of its youth can actually be available. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Rookie Suddenly Faces A Bigger Role Than Anyone Expected
During Atlantas four-game winning streak, rookie Zuby Ejiofor has gone from a fringe piece to a real part of the rotation, and the timing has mattered as much as the production. With Jock Landale and Asa Newell sidelined, Ejiofor has been pressed into a bigger role and has responded with steady minutes, giving the Hawks another useful body in the frontcourt while the team has kept rolling.
What makes the stretch notable is that Ejiofor has stayed in the mix even after Jalen Johnson returned from injury, which says plenty about how the Hawks view his value right now. He has averaged more than seven points, four rebounds and two assists during the run, and for a rookie who was not expected to be this involved this soon, that kind of contribution has helped stabilize a rotation that suddenly needed answers. [Read more 🡒]
Dyson Daniels Is Giving The Hawks Something Theyve Been Missing
Dyson Daniels has quickly become one of the most important reasons Atlanta has steadied itself during a four-game winning streak. Through the first 11 games, he has filled the box score in a way the Hawks have not had in a while, pairing scoring, rebounding, playmaking and disruptive defense to give the roster a different kind of edge on both ends of the floor.
The early-season production has fit neatly with what Daniels already brings as a two-time All-Defensive Team selection, but it has also shown how much more he can do beyond simply guarding at a high level. Atlanta has been looking for a player who can tilt possessions without needing the ball to dominate, and Daniels is giving the Hawks exactly that while leaving plenty of room for the story to keep developing. [Read more 🡒]