The Atlanta Hawks had to work a lot harder this time around.
After beating the Washington Wizards comfortably in their previous meeting, Atlanta found itself in a much tighter NBA Cup battle on this night, one that turned into a fourth-quarter grinder before the Hawks finally escaped with their third straight win.
Washington came out with a sharper offensive rhythm than it had shown before, and Atlanta’s early cushion didn’t last long. The Hawks did build a 10-point lead, but the Wizards answered and kept the game hanging around. Atlanta moved the ball well in the opening half, piling up 19 assists, yet the 10 first-half turnovers gave Washington just enough life to stay within striking distance.
The game shifted in the third quarter, when Atlanta made the necessary adjustments against Washington’s pick-and-roll action and briefly opened things up again. That edge, though, didn’t hold for long. The fourth quarter turned into a real fight, with the Wizards pushing the Hawks all the way to the finish.
Atlanta also had to deal with a much better shooting night from Washington. The Wizards, who had struggled from three coming into the game, found their range and made things uncomfortable early. Before halftime, they were getting the looks they wanted offensively, and Atlanta had to spend the rest of the night cleaning that up.
The Hawks’ response came in the second half, where they started taking away the easy alley-oop looks and forced more turnovers with deflections. That pressure paid off in a big way, with Atlanta scoring 13 of its 26 points off Wizards turnovers after halftime.
One of the biggest defensive moments came in the final minute, when Okongwu blocked Trae Young’s alley-oop attempt and helped seal the win.
There were also a few standout individual performances mixed into the chaos. Alexander-Walker followed up his earlier showing against Washington with another big scoring night, opening hot and finishing the first half with 16 points on 50% shooting from the field. His efficiency dipped after the break, but he still ended up with 28 points on 35% shooting.
Daniels also made his presence felt in a way that stood out even without the triple-double. He came into the game with only two triple-doubles in his career, and he nearly added a third, finishing with 13 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds. The rebound total was the only thing missing, and a few chances slipped away from him late.
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The short-term outlook is still a waiting game. Demin will be reevaluated after the Mavericks matchup, and Browns workload remains limited as Brooklyn continues to ease him along, leaving the Nets to piece together their backcourt depth for now. Both players are viewed as possible options for the next game against New Orleans, but for the moment the rookie availability issue is still very much in play. [Read more 🡒]
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Atlanta has been patching together minutes inside, with Jock Landale still sidelined and Asa Newell facing an extended absence, which has pushed rookie Zuby Ejiofor into a bigger role. Johnsons availability does not solve everything, but it at least gives the Hawks a chance to get back some size, versatility and stability in a stretch where that has become harder to find. [Read more 🡒]
Trae Youngs Atlanta Return Brought A Reaction Hawks Fans Will Debate
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Elsewhere in the division, Atlanta had its own moment of conversation when Trae Young came back to the city and drew a reaction from the crowd that was impossible to ignore, even if it was not the kind of reception Hawks fans will agree on. The storyline around the Hawks is already branching in a few directions, with rookie Kingston Flemings earning praise for his speed from teammates as the team continues sorting out what this season is going to look like. [Read more 🡒]