The Atlanta Hawks were back in action on Thursday evening to face the Brooklyn Nets. The Hawks were going for eight straight wins in this one, and they had a good opportunity to do so with a Nets team that hadn’t played well this season, and were without several players.
The Hawks were without Dyson Daniels in this one, but the good news was that Jonathan Kuminga returned after his three-game absence.
It was a fast start for the Hawks once again, and it started at the three-point line. Corey Kispert
was one of the players to knock down one early in the game.
Zaccharie Risacher got up for this lob pass from Gabe Vincent.
The Nets forgot to guard the best player on the floor, and Jalen Johnson cruised to the lane wide open.
With how poor the Nets’ defense was, the Hawks were able to keep the lead for the entire quarter, even though they missed some shots. Going into the second, the Hawks led 30-21.
The Nets came out with a little more energy in the second, and at one point, they were able to cut their deficit down to just three. The Hawks got back in the driver’s seat shortly after and tightened things up on offense.
Risacher couldn’t miss from the three-point line in the first half.
Johnson got another wide open dunk, but this time he created it with his own defense.
The ball kept moving in the first half, and it got Onyeka Okongwu a dunk, plus the foul.
Going into halftime, the Hawks led 57-50.
The Hawks came out slow in the third, and the Nets were able to come within one point. The Hawks extended their lead once again after the Nets’ run, and Johnson contributed with a three-pointer.
The Nets didn’t lay down for long, as they came back, and this time they tied the game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker turned up his intensity late in the quarter and got them the lead back.
Going into the fourth, the Hawks led 82-79.
It didn’t take long for the Nets to finally take the lead, but they also didn’t have it for long. Alexander-Walker and Mouhamed Gueye set the tone on defense, and led to the Hawks going on a run.
CJ McCollum took advantage of the mismatch and attacked for an easy two in the paint.
The Hawks built a nine-point lead, and they pretty much kept control until the end of the game. Johnson knocked down a three-pointer to keep things flowing.
It was the defense that stepped up big for the Hawks, as the Nets didn’t score for at least four to five minutes. By that time, the Hawks had already built a sustainable lead.
In the end, the Hawks were able to walk away with another win, making it eight straight.
Johnson finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, Alexander-Walker finished with 18 points, and Risacher finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.
The Hawks will be back in action on Saturday to face the Milwaukee Bucks.
