News Hawks Team Notes

[Atlanta Hawks]

Seriously, what’s Jalen Johnson’s true ceiling?

If you hadn’t heard, Jalen Johnson had a night to remember on Thursday evening in Utah. Against the Jazz, he posted a historic, eyewatering stat line: 31 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists, and seven steals while hitting four of his five three-point attempts and true shooting 65%.

With the loss of Trae Young to a knee injury, Johnson has assumed the role of point-forward for this team, with much of the team’s offensive initiation coming via the 23-year-old forward. To date, he’s responded with per-game averages of 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.8 steals on 65% true shooting.

It’s been a steady ascent for the former five-star high school basketball player. From leaving Duke prematurely, to sliding out of the lottery in the 2021 NBA Draft, to the G League, a bench role, and finally a key starting role in the span of a few years.

Could his next step be being named to his first All-Star Game this season? With his production so far and the team’s success, it sure seems so.

But the real question is just how high does the elevator to the top go? Top 30 NBA player? 20?

There is a four-time All-Star point guard soon to return to the Hawks lineup, and I will hear no argument that the Hawks are somehow better without him. But it might not be too soon to think about the big decision the brass has to make this offseason when Young is set to decline his player option as he seeks a hefty payday.

But first, let’s examine what parts of Jalen Johnson’s game are sustainable building blocks and which parts show cracks.

Transition offense​

There’s no questioning that Jalen Johnson is a terror in transition offense. His functional handle in open space combined with an explosive and strong 6-foot-9 frame allows him to accelerate, get into the paint and finish over or through all kinds of defenders.

There are just countless examples over the past few years of him grabbing a rebound and pushing past disorganized opponents for easy buckets.

Below, Johnson starts his own fastbreak opportunity with a swipe down steal. This amounts to taking candy from a baby, but Jalen Johnson grabbing and going against a Kings defense is easy points almost every time:

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And that ability to steamroll his way to the basket often draws multiple defenders in order to stop the ball. But Johnson has such great vision that he can find supporting runs in transition, like rewarding Mouhamed Gueye for his sprinting efforts below:

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Last season, 23.6% of Johnson’s scoring opportunities were from transition possessions. He scored 1.16 points per possession (PPP) on those attempts in 36 games before his season was cut short by injury.

This year, through 13 games, he’s bumped it up to a 27.5% frequency in possessions while scoring on 1.28 PPP (through games played by November 13). His 74 total points in transition so far places him 10th in the NBA (minimum of 10 min/game and 10 possessions of transition possessions to qualify per the NBA’s tracking powered by Synergy).

His 1.28 PPP actually outranks the number one scorer in transition, the unsurprising Giannis Antetokounmpo who comes in at 1.25 PPP. So yeah, he’s good in this area.

The Hawks continue to play at a fast pace, even without Trae Young — the team is ninth in pace at 102.2 possessions per 48 minutes since October 30, the day after Young got hurt.

The solution without the team’s floor general has been to push after every make or miss, and over that timespan the Hawks ranked third in the NBA with 21.8 fastbreak points.

Clearly, this style of play feeds into Johnson’s strengths. And he and the team are being rewarded handsomely for it.

But, as we’ll see in the halfcourt offense section, this style of play may not be effective against better defenses. Johnson still functions better with a viable ball handler next to him, so that consideration should always be kept in mind.

Halfcourt offense​

I showed a lot of examples of Johnson getting to the rim in transition. But that task is made a lot more difficult when Johnson has to contend with settled defenses. As explosive as he is, even he can’t always get into the paint with defenses keying on him.

So, the important questions are: just how real is his jump shot? And how much initiation can you give him when the defense is settled?

If Johnson is going to level up to being a primary option, his ability to find his own shot will be key. And while he’s made strides in that area over his career, he’s just a passable standstill shooter and not a reliable pull up shooter.

Johnson hit four out of his five three-point attempts during his career game against the Jazz. But all four were no-dribble, catch-and-shoot threes served up by his teammates.

Since stepping into a starting role in 2023-24, Johnson has shot 34% from deep on 3.6 attempts per game — nothing to shake a stick at for someone who is so multi-faceted in his game. But it still somewhat awkward when Johnson has to dribble or step back into a jumper:

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However, it’s unsurprising that his best attribute on the ball is getting past his man to either score inside 15 feet or draw a second defender and make the right pass.

Johnson can really pass from a number of different spots on the floor. He maps the court like a point guard, and knows how to distribute the ball behind rotating defenses.

Here, with the Jazz not getting matched up well in semi-transition, Nurkic starts defending the near corner but pulls all the way over to pinch off Johnson’s post up. Johnson doesn’t even need to peek to know the corner shooter, Zaccharie Risacher, is open:

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His best attribute is reactive passing. Keyonte George is treating Dyson Daniels as a non-shooter and doubling Jalen Johnson at the nail. Johnson attracts even more attention towards the baseline, but knows to find Daniels for the cut into open space:

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Teams are often hellbent on going under screens against him, but it often doesn’t matter. Watch him reject this screen and finish through Paolo Banchero:

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Where he does excel, however, is as a counter to defenses focused on someone else initiating offense. As both a screener and roller and cutter, he has ascended to a status as one of the elites in the game.

This 45-degree back cut absolutely leaves Jay Huff in the dust:

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He was a less willing cutter last season, but early in 2025-26, he’s been unstoppable on these, often with the aid of great backdoor passers in Daniels, Okongwu and Porzingis. In his 11 games so far, 12% of his scoring opportunities have come via cuts and he’s scoring at a blistering 1.76 PP, placing him in the 98th percentile around the league.

He’s just as good a roll man during pick-and-roll actions. It helps to have one of the best pick-and-roll operators in the league at point, but even without Young for this latest stretch, he’s been good in that area — scoring 1.28 PPP while accounting for 28% of his scoring opportunities.

Overall, his finishing at the rim is so elite (77% inside the restricted area) that it makes sense to put him in motion towards the rim as much as possible. Handing him the ball at the top of the key probably doesn’t optimize that part of his game — rather rolling, cutting and getting out in transition does.

Will Johnson ever be a true number one option in the halfcourt game? Even with further development (did I mention he’s just 23?), you just won’t get the most out of him if you tell him to operate pick-and-rolls as a ball handler. That’s just not his game.

But in an ecosystem where he can display his versatility next to another high-level creator, I truly wouldn’t rule it out. He’s such a terror in so many offensive areas and can counter whatever defenses throw at him that I think his overall impact as an on-ball/off-ball hybrid player could be special.

Defense and rebounding​

I’ll start by saying that Johnson has all the tools to be an elite defender. His size, length, agility, and versatility to counter many different matchups lets him slot into all sorts of defensive alignments.

But one thing that has become evident is his tendency to switch off for stretches on defense. Maybe the large offensive load is taking a toll, but his recent penchant for steals has obfuscated some disappointing defensive stretches so far this season.

He did have seven steals on Thursday, but there were clearly some unnecessary gambles baked into his performance on that side of the ball:

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And there are too often times where he’s caught napping in regard to the action unfolding in front of him.

His block rate is at his lowest rate of his career (0.4 per 100 possessions), and while he is defending further out on the perimeter than ever before as more of a 3/4 than a pure 4, it’s clear he’s not deterring shots near the rim like he once was.

We have seen better stretches of play from him defensively in the past — and make no mistake he’s still a part of the reason the Hawks have a top 10 defensive rating in the early portion of this season — but he could stand to be more consistent on that side of the ball.

The team as a whole has struggled to rebound the ball — 24th in offensive rebounding percentage (22.9%) and 23rd in defensive rebounding percentage (71.4) as of Nov. 15 — but Johnson hasn’t been to blame here. He’s still pulling down 13.9 total rebounds per 100 possessions. That’s the best mark of any Hawk who has played at least 20 minutes this season.

It’s especially important for him to be a great defensive rebounder in order to supplement his biggest strength: pushing in transition.

These two areas are important little aspects that separate an ‘empty stats’ superstar from an actually impactful superstar. Ultimately, it’s clear Johnson has the tools and talent to be a great player in so many different areas, even if he’s not a dominant isolation scorer.

Final thoughts​

Jalen Johnson doesn’t exactly have the profile of a typical superstar in one surface-level sense — a profile of a player whose on-ball scoring talent regularly bends defenses. He certainly has some of that ability, but his best attributes are everything else. His leakouts in transition, upper body strength to hand in the air and finish through contact, and sneakily elite rebounding (among many other more subtle contributions) all combine to product a jumbo Swiss army knife of a player.

Per basketball-reference, his box plus/minus (BPM) is 5.8, as of Friday evening 13th in the NBA, suggesting he’s worth around +5.8 points per 100 possessions over an average NBA player. While his pure on-off plus/minus lags way behind (suggesting some major lineup wonkiness), it’s clear he’s been one of the most valuable players in the NBA to start the season.

I think it’s all sustainable frankly. There’s no hot three-point shooting involved, for example. It’s time to start talking about Johnson as both a first-time All-Star player this season and a top 30 player at minimum.

As for his ceiling? Who really knows. But after recording the first stat line of his kind in NBA regular season or postseason history, I wouldn’t rule anything out.

All stats via NBA stats using Synergy tracking.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...en-johnson-nba-analysis-breakdown-video-xs-os

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Atlanta Hawks Analysis: How the Hawks are making it work without Trae Young

Are the Atlanta Hawks really better off without Trae Young?

I am skeptical, but the honest answer is that it’s too soon to tell. As is the case for all 30 NBA teams, it would be foolish to draw any sweeping conclusions about the Atlanta Hawks just 13 games into the 2025-26 season.

The team you saw defeat the Utah Jazz on Thursday night is a far different version from the one you’ll see in January. The team you’ll see in January won’t be the same as the one you’ll see in April, and perhaps even May.

There’s no question that the Hawks started off the season slowly. They got embarrassed on their home floor in a 20-point loss to the Toronto Raptors on opening night, and went just 1-3 through their first four games*. On offense, the shooting numbers weren’t pretty, and they very much looked like a team still searching for its identity after overhauling their rotation this summer. On the defensive end, an inability to protect the rim, second-chance points and non-existent transition defense were killing them.

*One of which came against the juggernaut that is the Oklahoma City Thunder – who are 12-1 and lead the league with a net rating of +15.6 points per 100 possessions.

Then, in a ‘get right’ game against a shamelessly tanking Brooklyn Nets team, they lost Trae Young to a MCL sprain just 10 minutes into the contest. Talented as Young is, his injury gave the Hawks a clear direction on both ends of the floor. His defensive shortcomings have been well documented, but Young was the straw that stirred the drink for Atlanta’s halfcourt offense.

In his absence, the way to win would be to defend as if their lives depended on it, and run like hell on offense – as their best chance to score without Young is to generate early shot-clock advantages in transition.

After escaping with a five-point win against Brooklyn, Atlanta alternated wins and losses over their next four games. While the defense indeed looked better without Young, the offense was hit-or-miss. They looked good in wins over Indiana and Orlando but committed 23 turnovers in their loss against Cleveland and shot just 34.4% from the floor in a defeat to the Raptors.

Then last week happened – and boy has the hype train already left the station or what? Atlanta went a perfect 4-0, thrashing the Lakers at home last Sunday before hitting the road for wins over the Clippers, Kings and Jazz.

Each game saw new heroes emerge. With Kristaps Porzingis, Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker missing for the Lakers game, Mo Gueye took center stage, going off for 21 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Dyson Daniels finished with a career-high 13 assists. Against the Clippers, Vit Krejci went nuclear from beyond the arc, shooting 8-for-10 from three-point range as Atlanta eked out a 105-102 win.

Against Sacramento, ball movement and defense were the co-MVP’s, as the Hawks recorded 42 assists on 49 made baskets and posted a stellar 92.6 defensive rating in a 33-point win. Against Utah, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu each had career nights for Atlanta in a hard-fought victory, with Johnson going for 31 points*, 18 rebounds*, 14 assists* and seven steals*, and Okongwu hitting eight (!) threes en route to a career-high 32 points.

*All career-highs

It was truly a spectacular week of basketball, as Hawks fans got to witness the countless hours of effort that these players put into their craft pay off in real time. The vibes could not be better heading into tonight’s game against Phoenix.

Yet, the elephant in the room is that the Hawks are winning without Trae Young, playing a defense-first brand of basketball that does not appear to play to the four-time All-Star’s strengths. So… are they better off without him?

As I said, it’s too early to tell. Atlanta posted a 120.3 offensive rating last week, but none of the four teams they played rank in the top half of the league in defense. They also shot a blistering 43.8% from three-point range (40 attempts per game) after shooting just 33.2% (32.1 attempts per game) through their first nine games. How much of the offense is real? While the defense has looked much improved without Young, none of the four teams they played last week ranked in the top half of the league in offensive rating either.

What happens when they face a true test?

Atlanta have done very well on the multiple choice portion of this stretch without Young, but the free response section is coming up. Their next three games come against stiffer competition.

Up first (in a couple of hours) is the Suns, who have won five games in a row, and rank 11th in offense and 10th in defense. On Tuesday, the 11-2 Detroit Pistons (16th in offense, 3rd in defense) come to town. After that, the Hawks head down to Texas to take on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs (12th in offense, sixth in defense).

If Atlanta can come out of this stretch 3-0, a conversation will need to be had. If not, we can analyze where they fell short, and whether the addition of Trae Young would help in that area. Until then, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the Vit Krejci* show. We will find out a lot about this team over the next three games.

*shooting 17-for-23 (76.2%) from three over his last three outings. As always, shoutout Vit!

Now, onto some more observations on Atlanta’s early season play. Let’s talk about Mo Gueye and Dyson Daniels.

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Mo Gueye’s Rim Protection​

Atlanta’s defense has been elite* over the past eight games, and a big part of this improvement has come at the rim. After allowing their opponents to shoot 70% within 4-feet over the first five games of the season, Hawks opponents have shot just 61.4% from this range over the last eight games – the second lowest mark in the league over this span.

*2nd in the league in defensive rating since 10/31 – only OKC have been better

One player making a massive impact in this area is third-year forward, Mouhamed Gueye. Though he only plays around 17 minutes a night, Hawks opponents are shooting just 58.5% at the rim* when he is on the floor – a mark which ranks in the 95th percentile relative to lineups who have logged at least 100 possessions this season (per cleaningtheglass).

*For reference, San Antonio Spurs opponents are shooting just 55.8% at the rim with Victor Wembanyama in the game. Timberwolves opponents are shooting 57% at the rim with Rudy Gobert in the game.

Gueye is typically deployed at the ‘4’ alongside Onyeka Okongwu, and the two make for a really nice defensive tandem as both have the ability to defend out on the perimeter as well as protect the rim.

Against the Lakers, Okongwu swallows up Jake Laravia’s drive (who?), while Gueye mans the exit route. The ball gets kicked out to Smart, who works it back inside to Jaxson Hayes – but Okongwu and Gueye are waiting. Okongwu strips him, and the Hawks are headed the other way.

Later on in the third, Okongwu shows on the pick-and-roll, leaving Hayes open on the roll. This time it’s Gueye’s turn to make a play, meeting Hayes at the rim for a denial.

Another area where Gueye makes his presence felt is in transition.

Here, Anthony Black pushes the pace, sees Risacher in front of him and decides to take it to the basket – but he didn’t account for Gueye, who hunts him down for a chase-down swat*.

*Perhaps a goal-tend, but we take these.

Against Toronto, Gueye does a good job getting back in transition to impact Mamu’s shot-attempt.

While Gueye’s ability to cover ground on the defensive end is unique, his straight up defense is also pretty good.

From the Toronto game, the Hawks are in rotation on this defensive possession, but Krejci does a good job recovering to the corner. Mamu finds Barnes, who makes himself available with a nice flash cut, but he gets nowhere trying to draw a foul on Gueye.

Against Orlando, Gueye welcomes a switch onto Paolo Banchero then stifles him on the drive.

It’s been great seeing Gueye build upon his stellar play from last season. He’s been one of Atlanta’s most impactful defenders these first few weeks, and as we saw in the Lakers game, he may be starting to figure things out on the offensive end as well. If his three-point shot continues to develop, it’s going to be really hard to keep him off the court.

Minutes haven’t always been readily available for Gueye this season with Kristaps Porzingis, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu all ahead of him in the front-court pecking order. Quin Snyder has also experimented with using Okongwu at the ‘4’ this season (which I have enjoyed), further eating into his opportunities.

For now, Gueye just has to keep making the most of the minutes that are available, but going forward I’d like to see Snyder try him out alongside Jalen Johnson or Kristaps Porzingis in the frontcourt*. So far, roughly 75% of his possessions have been played alongside Okongwu, but perhaps there are more lineup configurations involving Gueye that we haven’t seen before which could work as well.

*I might have to fire up 2K and see what happens if you play all three at the same time. Is anybody scoring on a Daniels, NAW, Johnson, Gueye, Porzingis lineup?

Dyson Daniels’ Drives​

One more nugget I wanted to share involves Dyson Daniels. It’s been a rough start to the season shooting-wise for ‘The Great Barrier Thief’. He is just 27-for-47 (57.5%) at the rim through the first 13 games (well below last year’s conversion rate of 65.4%) and looks to be completely uninterested in shooting threes, averaging fewer than one attempt per game thus far.

That being said, in the wake of Trae Young’s injury, Daniels has had to take on a more prominent role in the offense, and I’ve been really impressed with how he’s responded – particularly given his shooting struggles early on.

Since Young went down, Daniels ranks 15th in the NBA in drives at 13.9 per game. This number ranks no. 1 on the team over this span and is a significant uptick from the first four games of the season (when Young was healthy) when he was averaging just nine per game.

These drives are less about scoring, and more about collapsing the defense in order to create an opportunity for others. Daniels assist percentage off drives over this recent stretch (17.1%) ranks fifth amongst the 49 players who average at least 10 drives per game.

Against Indiana, he takes Nesmith off the dribble, engages Jay Huff, then finds Gueye for a slam.

Against Cleveland, he gets in the lane then finds the cutting Okongwu for an easy two.

Against the Kings, he muscles his way into the lane, draws two, then finds Kennard in the corner for three.

Against Utah, he puts pressure on the defense in transition, then kicks it out to Okongwu at the top of the key for a triple.

Daniels is averaging 6.9 assists per game (two turnovers) since Young went down after averaging just 2.3 assists per game (two turnovers) while sharing the backcourt with Young. Hopefully the shot starts falling soon, but even if it doesn’t, Daniels has proven he can be an effective offensive player without it.

Obviously it’s still early, but one of my favorite whacky numbers thus far is that Daniels leads the team in offensive on/off impact this season – with Atlanta posting a 121 offensive rating with him on the floor relative to a 104.9 offensive rating with him on the bench. Yes, you read that right. Now I’d be surprised if this disparity holds as the season goes on, but even so, it’s a testament to the fact that Daniels is doing something right on the offensive end.

Keep on hoopin’ Dyson!

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All stats used in this article are from nba.com/stats, cleaningtheglass, or pbpstats.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...-video-breakdown-dyson-daniels-mouhamed-gueye

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks at Suns: start time, TV, streaming, radio, game thread

Atlanta tries to keep the wins rolling against the Phoenix Suns.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen​

Location: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ

Start Time: 8:00 PM EDT

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...uns-start-time-tv-streaming-radio-game-thread

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks rally behind 47-point fourth quarter to claim comeback victory over Suns

The Atlanta Hawks notched their fifth straight victory — finishing 4-0 on their Western Conference road trip — as they produced a memorable comeback to topple the, similarly, rolling Phoenix Suns (winners of five straight games prior to last night) 124-122 on Sunday night. Onyeka Okongwu led the Hawks in scoring with 27 points, Nickeil-Alexander Walker scored 26 points (including 16 in the fourth), and Jalen Johnson added 25 points and 10 rebounds. For the Suns, Dillon Brooks scored 34 points, Devin Booker added 27 points.

On the final game of this trip, against a Suns side which has found great form at home, this was likely to be one of the more challenging games on the trip, but the Hawks began well out of the gates behind a 17-11 opening stint in an evenly contested affair in the first quarter.

It was in the second quarter where the Hawks began to open up an advantage, extending their lead to double-digits. This advantage was short-lived, as the Suns immediately responded to reign that gap in and would take the lead to halftime behind a 21-7 run. A flagrant foul deemed to be committed by Johnson on Brooks earned Phoenix free throws before rookie Collin Gillespie earned two more free throws to give the Suns a one-point lead at the half.

For much of the third quarter the game was a closely contested affair, with the Suns eventually edging out a lead, which quickly ballooned into double digits and beyond behind what was a fairly woeful Hawks lineup and production to close the quarter — Keaton Wallace, Dyson Daniels, Vit Krejci, Mo Gueye, and Okongwu. That lineup just had nothing going for it as a unit last night — it was really poor — and the Phoenix lead got completely out of control behind a 26-4 run. The fourth quarter saw the Phoenix lead grow to a game-high 22 points, the hosts in complete control and feeling good, getting themselves and the crowd fired up.

The Hawks stabilized in the fourth and behind, in particular, Alexander-Walker and Risacher began to chip away at the lead with a three from Risacher bringing the lead down to 15 points and a Suns timeout.

Out of the timeout, Risacher gets his hands on the ball to steal it from Gillespie, and attacks the rim in transition and scores, but Risacher cannot hold on to the rim, and his momentum flips him over, resulting in a nasty fall. Fair warning, this is a pretty rough watch, it’s a scary, hard impact from a very vulnerable position in the air with velocity; even my stomach lurched watching this.

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Risacher was officially ruled out of the remainder of the game with a left hip contusion but was able to walk away under his own steam. In the meantime, the Hawks still faced a double-digit deficit to overcome, and seeing one of their teammates go down like this could’ve disrupted the run they were already on. It didn’t. In fact, the Hawks took it to another level, with Alexander-Walker sharing postgame with Matt Winer that seeing Risacher go down like that only inspired them, led by calls by Jalen Johnson.

“Shoutout to Zacch, he gave us a big lift,” said Alexander-Walker. “Seeing one of our brothers go down like that, JJ said ‘Yo, we got to pick it up and the set the tone right here.”

Side note before we carry on, Dillon Brooks is called for a technical foul during all of this, as the Hawks — led by head coach Quin Snyder near-sprinting off the bench — tend to Risacher under the basket… It begs the question of was so pressing as to gripe with the officials in this moment after what had just happened?

The Suns’ bench all recoiled when the play happened. Everyone knew it was a bad fall, and the wellbeing of Risacher being the most important thing to attend to in that moment. Really poor from Brooks, but perhaps not unexpected.

The Hawks hit the technical free throw to bring the lead down to 12 points, and the Hawks kept fighting: Okongwu hit a three, Krejci hit a three after great ball movement, and Alexander-Walker converted an ‘and-1’ play to cap a 20-0 run to bring the Hawks within a point of the lead at 107-106. The Suns finally put some points back on the board to run their lead back to five, but a four-point play from Alexander-Walker in the corner slashes that lead promptly:

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Good ball movement from the Hawks here, and a great play from Okongwu to drive, recognize not just the charge attempt he was about to be drawn into on the drive but to spot the open Alexander-Walker in the corner, who does a great job to convert.

The Hawks would get another opportunity for an ‘and-1’ play a possession later, as Daniels takes advantage of Booker looking the other way, getting a head start on the drive and finishing at the rim plus the foul:

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Brooks manages to fall and rollover, somehow, on this play. The screen from Okongwu is legal, and Brooks tries to shove himself in between Okongwu and Johnson, and I think embellishes the contact, and then complains about it. His complaints are ignored, and Daniels converts the three-point play.

Another Booker basket in the fourth puts the Suns back up by three, more great ball movement from Atlanta — with all five players involved — ends with Daniels finding Alexander-Walker inside the free throw line hitting the jumper:

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Alexander-Walker holds his ground on the other end of the floor, keeping Brooks in front of him for much of the shotclock, only bested by an illegal hook which Brooks does not get away with, resulting in a turnover and possession back to the Hawks after determined defense from Alexander-Walker:

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The Hawks would then re-take the lead, behind Daniels’ 12th assist of the night as he finds Okongwu for the alley-oop:

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Whether by design or not, the Hawks got good diversion here as Okongwu’s and Alexander-Walker’s paths crossed, leaving Okongwu free to drift to the rim, and the execution from Daniels here to quickly spot the opportunity deserves credit for a player who, in the NBA, has not been a point guard by nature.

Brooks puts the Suns ahead briefly, before Alexander-Walker rejects the screen and drives to the rim, finishing over Booker and evading the shot-blocker:

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Booker looks as though he’s going to get set in position and draw the charge, having sprinted over away from Krejci to get to the lane. Yet, between both Alexander-Walker and Booker turning, adjusting their bodies, the charge never occurs when it looked like it was set to be taken.

The Hawks finally get the stop in the clutch they need, as Gilespie’s drive is well defended by Daniels, and the Hawks — eventually — secure the rebound through Okongwu, who outlets the ball to Johnson. Booker fouls Johnson from behind, sending him to the free throw line:

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Confusing from the Suns and Booker here. The shot clock was not off for the Hawks, meaning that, should the Suns secure the rebound, they would have had time remaining with the ball. This reach from Booker was not just optimistic, but ill-advised — they did not have to do this.

Johnson — and then Okongwu, sandwiched by a Booker basket — dispatch their free throws, giving the Hawks a 123-120 lead with 10 seconds remaining. Daniels appears content to foul Booker, sending him to the line and ensuring the Suns don’t get a chance at a three. He hits both and the Hawks call a timeout, out of which Johnson gets the ball to Okongwu, who hugs the ball but is tied up by Booker and a jump ball is called:

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While Okongwu probably hadn’t anticipated to be put in a situation where he would be given the ball to hit another two important free throws, his reaction to receiving the ball is puzzling. There’s a window in which he can get the ball to Alexander-Walker, but even ignoring that his instinct is remain still and just hug the ball? It was an odd one, but he needn’t have worried too much as he would’ve been favored in a jump ball situation versus Booker, with Booker committing a violation anyways and handing the ball to Atlanta.

This time, Alexander-Walker does receive the ball, and while he splits the pair of subsequent free throws the Suns have no timeouts and a half-court heave is missed to the relief of the Hawks, who secure a quality comeback victory in the fourth quarter.

After the Suns outscored the Hawks 37-20 in the third quarter, and edging to a 22-point lead in the fourth, the Hawks scored 47 points in the final period (47-27) behind 64% shooting from the field, 50% from three, and 11-of-13 from the free throw line — a stark contrast, a game of two halves within the second half itself.

It was a rush that Nickeil Alexander-Walker took with him postgame.

“The adrenaline is unbelievable right now,” said Alexander-Walker postgame. “Going on the road, going down like that but it was a lot of fun, for sure. It was cool to see everyone come get it. One thing I can say, down 20 when they went on the run and the crowd got into it and having fun, no one really gave up on each other or start going places mentally. We just talked about what we needed to do, and the mindset was ’just chip away.‘ I don’t think I looked at the scoreboard until the last two minutes just the mindset of ‘play hard, one possession at a time.’ I think over time, with that mentality, it allowed us to prevail.”

Coach Snyder was asked about the third quarter, contrasting the fortunes between the third and fourth quarters where the Hawks made their comeback, praising the Hawks’ ‘competitive endurance.’

“We’ve talked about it being a game of runs and trying to limit those runs,” said Snyder of the third quarter. “I thought defensively we broke down. They were scoring on every possession. The flip side of that is when the fourth quarter started, it would’ve been really easy — fourth game of a road-trip, down 18, 20 — to capitulate on some level. That didn’t happen. That shows the competitive endurance we’ve been talking about, and credit to our guys that’s a unique game to be on the road and have that happen, get blitzed like that in the third and then respond the way we did.”

“Coach tells us all the time, competitive endurance,” added Dyson Daniels. “It’s going to be a game of runs. They had a bit of a run we couldn’t stop at the end of the third quarter, fourth quarter was coming back and competing and playing the same way. We came out, we fought, defended hard, got out in transition, got the game back on our terms. Once we got the momentum rolling it was hard to stop us.”

One aspect that swung the game in the Hawks’ favor were points off of turnovers, of which the Hawks scored 29 points off of 17 Phoenix turnovers, including 19 fastbreak points helped by 11 steals.

As you’d imagine, Dyson Daniels played a role in this as he pokes the ball from behind Booker to create the turnover, before Risacher finds Johnson in transition after a great screen by Daniels:

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Another steal by Daniels sets up the opportunity to lead the charge himself this time, finding Johnson again in transition for the basket:

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A steal by Alexander-Walker fuels another fastbreak opportunity for the Hawks, and Alexander-Walker himself finishes in transition:

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Risacher also gets in on the action, intercepting the pass out to the perimeter, and again finds Jalen Johnson, who finishes at the rim, plus the foul:

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Both Risacher and Alexander-Walker finished with two steals, drawing praise from Snyder postgame.

“Zacch got us going,” said Snyder. “He had a couple of steals and got out in transition. Nickeil is a battler. He’s a tough guy who loves to compete. We’ve been talking about going to the rim, getting in the paint and having their our out and they found each other. When the rim was there, they finish. Our defensive level rose up and it kept us aggressive on the offensive end. We shared the ball and a lot of good things — that’s they way we want to play. We want to defend, run, play with the pass, be unselfish and trust each other. You saw all those things in the fourth quarter.”

The Hawks were asked about Risacher postgame, whose fall certainly seemed to be a turning point in the Hawks’ continued push to tear into the Suns’ lead.

“He kickstarted it (the run) with his defense, ” said Alexander-Walker of Risacher. “He had a steal that led to the dunk, and a scary unfortunate play. JJ was the first to say something as soon as it happened. ‘Let’s go get this win for Zacch. Let’s make sure it’s not for nothing.‘ That speaks volumes when that’s the mentality after something like that. To be the next man up but to want to do it for each other.”

“That was a crucial part of the game, when Zacch went down” added Daniels of Risacher’s fall. “He was playing really well for us on both ends of the floor. It was a scary fall and I’m glad he’s alright. The guys used that as motivation coming back in the huddle and talk to each other and to say the game is not over and let’s keep fighting, and that’s what we did.”

“We knew what we needed to do in the fourth quarter,” said Johnson postgame. “When Zacch went down, we knew we needed to buckle in even more; we wanted to win that for him. It was a good team win, fun basketball to be a part of. Hell of a fourth quarter from O, and Nickeil. It was a great team win.”

Ultimately, this was a game won by the starters. A number of the bench unit let the Hawks down, scoring just 20 points. Mo Gueye ran into early foul trouble and was limited to 10 minutes, Luke Kennard struggled to make an impact on the game (but, to be fair, could have been utilized more), and Keaton Wallace in particular was poor — a minus-25, and, perhaps no surprise, he was not seen at all in the fourth after the horror show to end the third quarter.

Alexander-Walker, Okongwu, Johnson, and Daniels played either the entirety, or mere seconds off, the entire fourth quarter, with Risacher on his way to do the same before his fall. In the end, Johnson played 39 minutes, Okongwu 37 minutes, Daniels 36 minutes, and Alexander-Walker 35 minutes.

However, each of these players were extremely productive.

Okongwu led the scoring with 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, 3-of-9 from three, four rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Okongwu’s drives were encouraging to watch, and other than his late blunder leading to the jump ball he was excellent. Johnson finished with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, 2-of-3 from distance, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Johnson was so efficient scoring the ball, excelling again in transition and getting to the rim. He was a leader both with his play and his voice after Risacher went down;

Johnson was excellent again and leading the Hawks, and with them his own All-Star campaign. Alexander-Walker led the charge in the fourth quarter with 16 points en route to 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting, coming up with play after play in the final period to spearhead the Hawks’ comeback.

Finally, Daniels scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting (his only missed shot, shock, a three!) to go with 12 assists and seven rebounds, with three steals. Daniels played the point guard role, along with Alexander-Walker, excellently, in addition to adding the defense he does on a nightly basis.

Combined, the Hawks rallied and without one of them victory would not have been possible — those four carried the Hawks last night, with Risacher and Krejci having an impact around them (Risacher much more so, of course, scoring 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting).

As Snyder referenced, it would have been easy for the Hawks to give up at the start of the fourth down 22 points. They’d just taken the blow the Suns dealt, and they’ve already won three games on this trip — not many would have begrudged them if they had gone on to lose. 3-1 is still a good road-trip, even if the opposition isn’t the strongest.

The Hawks chose to fight on and were given even further life after Risacher went down. Added to that, the Hawks caught the Suns with time to spare, and the Suns even pushed the lead back out to five. The comeback to take the lead wasn’t mutually exclusive to the clutch plays — those came after the initial comeback. The Hawks deserve a lot of credit for this one, and move into what has previously been unfamiliar territory for a number of seasons:

The Hawks are 9-5.

They are 4 games over .500 for the first time since they were 10-6 in November 2022. https://t.co/B5haCjVQ8b

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) November 17, 2025

While the Hawks will be happy to return home, what awaits them at State Farm Arena on Tuesday night will be far tougher than what they faced on the road. The 11-2 Detroit Pistons will be coming to town on the second night of a back-to-back, though, this is not the benefit you might think it is as their game tonight is against the 1-12 Indiana Pacers in Detroit. The Hawks are on a good winning streak with five games, but the Pistons are on a nine game streak, likely 10 heading into State Farm Arena on Tuesday.

It should be a good contest! Until next time!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...ns-dyson-daniels-jalen-johnson-onyeka-okongwu

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Jalen Johnson takes home first career Player of the Week award

After a monster week that saw the Hawks sweep a four-game Western Conference road trip, the team’s star forward took home a major award for the first time in his young career. This afternoon, Jalen Johnson was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week:

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić and Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 4 of the 2025-26 season (Nov. 10-16). pic.twitter.com/MxbY7yftOu

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 17, 2025

Johnson averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and three steals per game while shooting 60% from the field, 57% from three, and 78% from the free throw line. He powered the Hawks to four wins in the past week to push their record to 9-5, placing them right in the thick of the battle near the top of the Eastern Conference.

In one game in particular, he detonated on the Utah Jazz, putting up a 31-point, 18-rebound, 14-assist, 7-steal performance that had never been done in NBA history, regular season or playoffs.

The award for Johnson is the first of this kind in his career. Congrats to the young man for this achievement!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/late...on-nba-player-week-award-latest-news-breaking

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks edge Suns 124–122 in nail-biter desert finish

The Atlanta Hawks edged out the Phoenix Suns by a narrow 124–122 margin in a matchup that lived up to its billing between two surging teams. Both squads entered the contest with momentum, but Atlanta’s late-game resilience ultimately secured the win. The game served as a major test of the Hawks’ ability to withstand adversity — and the Suns’ capacity to close tight contests.

Atlanta demonstrated early that the victory would be a collective effort rather than an individual showcase. Several players delivered standout performances, including Jalen Johnson, who recorded 25 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 26 points, while Onyeka Okongwu contributed a significant 27 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Additionally, Dyson Daniels supplied 11 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds, providing stability on both ends of the floor.

The Hawks’ offensive efficiency kept Phoenix uncomfortable throughout much of the night. Strategic spacing and decisive ball movement generated consistent high-quality looks for Atlanta. However, the Suns shifted momentum dramatically in the third quarter, outscoring Atlanta 37–20. Dillon Brooks led the surge with 16 points in the period, helping Phoenix build what appeared to be a commanding lead.

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Head coach Quin Snyder reflected on the pivotal stretch, highlighting the importance of mental toughness amid an opposing run.

“We have talked about it being a game of runs and limiting those runs. I thought defensively we bought in. They were scoring on every possession; however, on the flip side, when the fourth quarter started, it would’ve been really easy on the fourth game of a road trip, down 18 or 20, for us to get down on some level, and that didn’t happen. To me that shows the competitive endurance that we have been talking about. It’s a credit to our guys and their unique game to be on the road and have that happen—getting blitzed in the third quarter—and responding the way we did.”

Atlanta responded emphatically. After trailing by as many as 22 points, the Hawks erupted for 47 fourth-quarter points, combining tightened defensive execution with efficient scoring in clutch moments. Zacharie Risacher sparked the rally early in the quarter with multiple steals that ignited transition baskets.

Snyder noted the importance of Risacher’s energy during the comeback:

“Zaccharie got us going as he got a couple of steals, and obviously we were able to get out in transition. Nickeil is a battler. He’s a tough guy who loves to compete, as we’ve been talking about—going to the rim and getting in the paint.”

However, Atlanta faced a setback when Risacher suffered a hard fall in the fourth quarter. He did not return and was later diagnosed with a hip contusion after remaining motionless for several minutes. Despite earlier miscues, the Hawks maintained their composure in the final possessions to close out the victory.

With the win, the Hawks completed a sweep of their road trip and extended their streak to five consecutive victories. They will return home on Tuesday to face the Detroit Pistons, a matchup expected to challenge Atlanta’s continued momentum.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/reca...ix-suns-jalen-johnson-quotes-alexander-walker

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Red-hot Pistons cool off Hawks in 120–112 showdown

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons entered Tuesday night’s matchup as two of the NBA’s hottest teams, each riding significant momentum into the contest.

Atlanta arrived on a five-game winning streak, finally tapping into the offensive and defensive balance the team has sought since opening night. Detroit, meanwhile, carried the league’s longest active winning streak at 10 games, showcasing consistent execution at both ends of the floor.

Detroit extended that streak with a 120–112 victory, relying on disciplined team play and efficient shooting. The loss halted Atlanta’s rise, which was further complicated by the absence of second year player Zaccharie Risacher, who was sidelined after sustaining a hard fall in the Hawks’ previous game against the Phoenix Suns.

First Half Breakdown

The Pistons set the tone early, winning the opening quarter 33–27 while shooting an impressive 65% from the field. Detroit dominated the paint 18–10, using interior scoring and controlled tempo to build an early advantage. Atlanta closed the quarter with a momentum-lifting moment as Keaton Wallace connected on a 40-foot three-pointer at the buzzer, cutting into Detroit’s lead heading into the second quarter.

The bank over on Peachtree is OPEN pic.twitter.com/8BzMSksxax

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 19, 2025

Despite the spark, the Pistons continued to build separation. Detroit maintained defensive pressure and offensive flow, steadily extending the margin. A highlight moment for Atlanta came when Dyson Daniels threw down a powerful dunk with 2:38 remaining in the second quarter, trimming the lead to 50–36. Still, the Hawks’ defensive struggles persisted, as they surrendered 67 first-half points, a deficit that proved difficult to overcome.

Jalen Johnson led Atlanta in the opening half with 14 points, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker added nine.

Detroit’s Execution

Detroit’s victory can be attributed to a combination of efficient offense and controlled defensive execution. The Pistons shot 43-of-79 (54.4%) overall and minimized turnovers, maintaining steady pressure throughout the night.

Cade Cunningham anchored Detroit’s offense with a near triple-double, recording 21 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists on 8-for-21 shooting. Jalen Duren contributed 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists while converting 8-of-10 attempts from the floor. Daniss Jenkins added 14 points, three rebounds, and seven assists, shooting 6-of-10 and providing reliable secondary playmaking.

Hawks’ Standout Performances

Though the Hawks were unable to erase their first-half deficit, several players delivered strong individual performances. Johnson finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, shooting 8-of-16 from the field, 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 6-of-6 at the line.

Alexander-Walker added 21 points, three rebounds, and three assists, though he struggled from deep, making just 1-of-8 three-pointers. Onyeka Okongwu matched the 21-point mark on efficient 8-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three.

Onyeka!!

The Rim Wrecka pic.twitter.com/nHsoCjvEsf

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 19, 2025

Off the bench, Mouhamed Gueye delivered one of the night’s most impactful performances, posting 11 points and 11 rebounds in 20 minutes.

Shooting Struggles and Final Outcome

Atlanta’s primary challenge stemmed from its inconsistent perimeter shooting. The Hawks finished 13-of-40 from three-point range, missing several open attempts that could have cut into Detroit’s lead. Combined with lapses in early defensive execution, the deficit proved insurmountable despite a strong late push.

The Hawks are now 9-6 on year as they will face the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/reca...wks-nba-recap-stats-notes-video-jalen-johnson

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Starting today, comments and Feed posts on Peachtree Hoops will have activity notifications

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So starting today, whenever a user replies to your comment or to your post on the Feed, you’ll see a notification at the top right corner of the page.

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Our goal is to create more and better conversations on Peachtree Hoops and elsewhere across the SB Nation network. Anytime someone engages with your comments or Feed posts on another SB Nation community, you’ll see it in your notifications.

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Jump into the comment section below or post on The Feed to see notifications in action.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/gene...chtree-hoops-will-have-activity-notifications

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks comeback bid falls just short versus Pistons

The Atlanta Hawks were defeated by the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night by a final score of 120-112. The loss brought an end to Atlanta’s five-game winning streak, while Detroit picked up their 11th (!) win in a row.

Jalen Johnson finished with 25 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in a team-high 39 minutes for Atlanta. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 24 points, but struggled to find his touch from beyond the arc, shooting just 1-for-9 from the perimeter. Onyeka Okongwu added 21 points, but had a tough day on the defensive end of the floor. For the Pistons, Cade Cunningham led the way with 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.

The Hawks were without Kristaps Porzingis (right knee soreness), Zaccharie Risacher (left hip contusion), and of course, Trae Young (MCL sprain) for this one. Meanwhile Detroit were missing Caris LeVert (left ankle sprain), Tobias Harris (right ankle sprain), and Jaden Ivey (G League assignment).

---

Summary​

Detroit built a 67-54 halftime lead on the back of some extremely efficient shooting, going 8-for-19 (42%) from beyond the arc and a ridiculous 17-for-20 (85%) from two-point range over the first two quarters. 16 of the Pistons’ 20 two-point attempts in the first half came from inside the restricted area. They also went 9-for-10 from the free throw line.

While Atlanta didn’t shoot it poorly (56.7% True Shooting in the first half), they struggled with turnovers (eight), and only took six free throw attempts (4-for-6 at the line). On defense, they had a hard time stopping Detroit from getting what they wanted – as evidenced by the number of attempts they conceded from within the restricted area.

“In the first half, we didn’t do a good job in pick-and-roll defense,” said head coach Quin Snyder after the game.

Atlanta opened the third quarter on a 13-5 run, cutting Detroit’s lead to five after a three from Okongwu off the pick-and-pop with Dyson Daniels.

Detroit would waste no time retaking control of the game however, responding with a 13-5 run of their own over the next three minutes. They kept the Hawks at arms length for the rest of the period, and took a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Atlanta began the final period determined to make a comeback.

Okongwu got the quarter started with a lay-in over Cunningham.

A few plays later, he knocks down a catch-and-shoot three to cut the lead to 10.

After a missed three on the other end from Detroit, Alexander-Walker converts a tough lay-in, forcing JB Bickerstaff to call for time to try and slow the Hawks momentum.

Out of the timeout, Atlanta plays good defense, resulting in a miss from Stewart. Then on the other end, Vit Krejci gets two great looks from three but can’t convert – an unfortunate result for a player who had been on a shooting tear entering tonight’s matchup.

Fortunately, this wouldn’t slow Atlanta’s momentum. After another miss from Detroit, Dyson Daniels comes up with the rebound off an Alexander-Walker misfire, then drops in a floater to cut the Pistons lead to six.

After baskets from Mo Gueye and Cade Cunningham, Jalen Johnson hit a three (off another offensive board from Dyson Daniels) to make it a three-point game!

Duncan Robinson misses a three on the other end and the Hawks come back down and showcase their ball movement. On this possession, four players touch the ball in four seconds before Okongwu rewards Dyson Daniels’ cut with a beautiful bounce pass for the score. Beautiful basketball. One point game. Timeout Detroit.

The Pistons coaching staff made an interesting decision coming out of the timeout, opting to sub defensive stalwart, Ausar Thompson, into the game for All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham*.

*Who was returning from a three-game injury absence

After coming up empty on a play drawn up for Duncan Robinson, Detroit’s defense is put to the test and Javonte Green ties up Dyson Daniels, resulting in a jump ball.

As you can see in the play below, what happens on the jump ball is just really unfortunate. The ball gets batted around after the jump. Okongwu and Daniels both try grabbing it, but neither of them come away with it. The ball winds up in the hands of Detroit’s Daniss Jenkins, who takes it the other way for an emphatic slam.

This was the first of two plays Snyder called “tough” and “really crucial” in his post game press conference.

After the Jenkins jam, Atlanta’s offense stalled on their next possession, which ended in a shot clock violation. Then on the other end, Duncan Robinson got past Vit Krejci and converted a tough lay-in over Dyson Daniels, pushing Detroit’s lead back up to five. Timeout Quin Snyder.

Out of the timeout by Atlanta, we see Detroit’s Thompson for Cunningham substitution pay off. Johnson’s handle is too loose, Thompson comes up with the ball, and it’s the Hawks third consecutive empty possession at a crucial point in the contest.

Okongwu fouled Jalen Duren on Detroit’s next possession, who went 1-for-2 at the stripe, extending the lead to six. Then on Atlanta’s next offensive possession, Thompson strikes again – this time just ripping the ball out of Johnson’s hands, leading to another two points for Detroit off a Duren putback.

Dyson Daniels tries to get the points back quickly, but Duren stuffs his attempt at the rim. The refs called this out on Daniels (though the replay showed the ball might have actually deflected off of Duren), and it’s five straight scoreless possessions for the Hawks.

After a Thompson slam on the other end, the Hawks looked to be down for the count, however Nickeil Alexander-Walker wouldn’t concede so easily.

First, he knocked down this three from the left wing to end Atlanta’s scoring drought, and cut the Pistons lead to seven with 3:30 left to play.

Then, a couple plays later, he gets past Cade Cunningham (subbed back in for Robinson) for a layup plus the foul to make it a four-point game.

The Hawks lock down the interior on the next Pistons possession.

Then Alexander-Walker drives and draws a shooting foul on Duren. He would go 2-for-2 at the line to make it a two-point game.

Just a brilliant stretch from NAW to breathe life back into this Hawks team when they desperately needed it. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be enough.

On Detroit’s next possession, Cunningham made the second “tough” and “crucial” play described by Snyder postgame. Going one-on-one against Dyson Daniels, he gets to his spot just inside the free-throw line and nails the jumper to make it a two possession game.

The Hawks call Jalen Johnson’s number on the next possession, but he can’t finish around Isaiah Stewart on the interior and Detroit come up with the rebound.

With just over a minute to play, Cade Cunningham wastes no time going for the gut punch – racing up the floor to finish through Okongwu at the basket to put Detroit up by six.

Alexander-Walker gets a decent look from three on Atlanta’s next possession but it doesn’t fall. Duren comes up with the board and the Hawks are forced to play the foul game.

A few heroic late game threes from Vit Krejci made the rest of the final minute semi-interesting, but Detroit were perfect at the line down the stretch. In the end, Atlanta came up just short in their attempt to extend their win streak to six.

A few observations from last night’s contest.

---

Rim Protection Falters​

Coming into the game against Detroit, the Hawks’ boasted the fifth-best defense in the league in the month of November, with their improved rim defense being a big factor in that ranking. Last night, their rim protection was nowhere to be found, as Detroit brutalized them for 66 points in the paint – 58 of which were scored from inside the restricted area.

Per cleaningtheglass, Detroit took a whopping 49% of their field goal attempts at the rim last night – a mark which ranks in the 98th percentile relative to all other games played during the 2025-26 season, and the highest opponent rim frequency the Hawks have allowed in a game so far this season. Additionally, the Pistons converted these looks at a stellar 74% clip – seven percentage points higher than the league average.

Detroit is a gritty team, and Atlanta really struggled with their size and physicality on the interior. They came into this matchup ranked no.2 in the league in rim shooting frequency, and all of their players were attuned to punishing Atlanta whenever their bigs got pulled too far away from the rim. Cade Cunningham gave the Hawks fits.

This performance was likely just an outlier but even so, it shows that despite the impressive numbers as of late, there is still a lot of room for this team to grow on the defensive end of the floor – even in Trae Young’s absence.

One ray of sunlight from last night is that Atlanta continued to thrive defensively with Mo Gueye on the floor (read more about Mo’s rim protection here!), posting a defensive rating of 86.7 in his 21 minutes*.

*Atlanta were +17 in Mo’s minutes against Detroit

Turnovers Were Costly​

Another factor in the loss was that the Hawks committed 19 turnovers, directly leading to 30 Pistons points – the second most points off turnovers they’ve conceded in a game this season.

Johnson (four turnovers) and Okongwu (five) were the main culprits, but almost everyone had a hand in these errors. Of the eight Hawks who played more than five minutes last night, Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the only one to finish the game turnover free.

Snyder called the turnovers “an opportunity to learn” postgame, while Johnson admitted he “has to be better”.

As is to be expected, the Hawks have struggled to take care of the ball in Trae Young’s absence this season, posting a team turnover rate of 16.4%* with Young on the bench or out of the lineup relative to a stellar 11.1% turnover rate with him on the court per cleaningtheglass.

*A mark which would rank 25th in the league this season

Three-Point Shooting Comes Down to Earth​

Another trend from the recent winning streak that regressed last night (in addition to the rim protection) was the team’s three-point shooting numbers. The Hawks were shooting 41.4% from three over the five games prior to last night’s matchup – the second best mark in the league over that span, and a massive uptick from their first nine games of the season when they were shooting just 33.2%.

Last night, they shot just 15-for-44 (34.1%) and were 13-for-42 (31%) before Vit Krejci hit two miracle heaves during the final 30 seconds. While Jalen Johnson (3-for-8) and Onyeka Okongwu (4-for-7) continued to shoot well, Krejci was just 1-for-6 before his late-game heaves, Alexander-Walker was just 1-for-9, and Gueye went 1-for-5. Kennard and Keaton Wallace were efficient (combined 3-for-6) but on low volume.

“I didn’t feel like we were our normal selves from three, and when we went on that little [cold] stretch in the second, I didn’t feel like the looks were something that we couldn’t live with.” said Alexander-Walker after the game. “Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t.”

The Hawks like to hunt transition threes but last night, they struggled to get out and run (scoring a season-low six fastbreak points), which may have been a factor in the mediocre three-point shooting.

That being said, there’s little question that the shooting over the win streak was likely unsustainable, and it will be really interesting to see how this team shoots over their next 5-10 games.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...-jalen-johnson-quote-video-analysis-breakdown

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Pistons at Hawks: start time, TV, streaming, radio, game thread

The Atlanta Hawks (9-5) meet the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons (12-2) in a major battle near the top of the standings.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen​

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Start Time: 7:30 PM EDT

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...wks-start-time-tv-streaming-radio-game-thread

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks lose control in 4th quarter, lose to Spurs 135-126

The Atlanta Hawks were in San Antonio on Thursday night to face the Spurs. Coming off a loss against the Detroit Pistons at home, the Hawks were back on the road for two games, and luckily enough, they were able to get Kristaps Porzingis and Zaccharie Risacher back. On the other hand, the Spurs were missing some of their key players, as Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper were out with injuries.

The Hawks let the three-ball fly early against the Spurs, and Porzingis got one to go to give him 10,000 career points. It was a back-and-forth game throughout the quarter, and the Hawks used ball movement like always to stay afloat. Jalen Johnson found Onyeka Okongwu cutting to the basket for an easy dunk.

That's far too easy for JJ & OO pic.twitter.com/SU9TMkxgb8

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

Minutes later, Okongwu knocked down a three-pointer, something he’s been doing at a high rate this season.

Big O buries one from the top pic.twitter.com/IkYQlgR8Cp

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

The three-pointers didn’t stop there, as Vit Krejci and Luke Kennard got back-to-back shots to extend the Hawks’ lead toward the end of the first. Going into the second, the Hawks led 34-28.

Vit back in the kitchen with another triple pic.twitter.com/FHPJhmRNIN

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

The defense was strong to start the second, and Porzingis got an easy block off the backboard.

KP protecting the house and scoring against the mouse in the house pic.twitter.com/fa3TIS8Sii

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

Though the defense was strong at the moment, as the quarter continued, it started to decline as the Spurs took the lead and Keldon Johnson began knocking down several three-pointers. The Hawks stayed in a drought for some time, and the Spurs extended their lead.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker did his best to keep the Hawks alive with his three-point shooting.

Needed this Nickeil three pic.twitter.com/czxmX2cEQP

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

Johnson showed off his footwork for this easy score in the paint.

Excellent footwork JJ pic.twitter.com/aKvQzIyCmd

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

After a rough shooting half, Zaccharie Risacher got an easy dunk to go from a pass from Johnson.

Oh man beautiful find from Jalen to a Zacch jam pic.twitter.com/bl42OhFgaU

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

Though the Hawks continued to stack points, they couldn’t get stops on the other end, which hurt them the most. Toward the end of the first half, the Hawks were able to cut down their deficit as much as 13 points, but they went into halftime down 74-60.

The Hawks came out fighting in the third quarter, despite being down double digits. Alexander-Walker kept the three-pointers going, and he helped the Hawks cut their deficit down to single digits.

Nickeil is SIZZLING

6 threes tonight & 3-3 in the quarter pic.twitter.com/aBVVRKF3eA

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

The Spurs left Johnson for a moment on this possession, and he took advantage of it by driving to the lane and getting Porzingis a lob.

JJ found himself all alone

Easy lob to KP pic.twitter.com/fUZLxoniCm

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

The Hawks kept at it, as they continued to knock down shots and get stops on the other end. Kennard was wide open for a two-pointer to cut the Hawks deficit to two.

Luke from the elbow that is pretty pic.twitter.com/d5yEscJvsS

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

Keaton Wallace hit back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game late in the third.

Two BIG Keaton triples in his college stomping grounds pic.twitter.com/7xY68GqqBj

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

The Hawks went into the fourth down 95-92, and they kept the hot shooting going. Of course, Okongwu was a part of that hot shooting.

ONY333KA pic.twitter.com/qJTMRuaHyw

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

The Hawks eventually took the lead after Alexander-Walker drove to the lane for a layup, but the Spurs got it back after a three-pointer from Devin Vassell. The Hawks missed some shots and had some turnovers from there, and the Spurs capitalized, extending their lead.

Dyson Daniels tried to stop the bleeding for the Hawks, and got a tough layup to go.

Needed this bucket from Dys pic.twitter.com/HKv7FcSHhw

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

Alexander-Walker kept fighting to the end and eclipsed the 30-point mark.

30 ball for NAW pic.twitter.com/FiXoDEy8pp

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2025

There was still enough time for the Hawks to make one more run, but the turnovers continued to pile up and they couldn’t get stops on the other end. In the end, the Spurs walked away with the win.

Alexander-Walker finished with 38 points, Johnson finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, and Porzingis finished with 16 points.

The Hawks will be back in action on Saturday to face the New Orleans Pelicans.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/recaps/66358/hawks-lose-control-in-4th-quarter-lose-to-spurs-135-126

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks at Spurs: start time, TV, streaming, radio, game thread

The Atlanta Hawks (9-6) travel to San Antonio to try to start another winning streak.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen​

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Start Time: 8:00 PM EDT

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE), NBA TV

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...urs-start-time-tv-streaming-radio-game-thread

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

The Hawks need mo’ Gueye

A lot has happened in just 16 games.

In just the fifth game, Trae Young going down due to a freak collision into his knee turned the entire season on its head.

In order to tread water, the Hawks have leaned on Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the backcourt and turned to Jalen Johnson to shoulder the load on offense. The latter two have broken out on offense in his stead, but there’s also been a defensive renaissance — until this week — that had the Hawks flying high at 9-5 at one point.

For a reminder of the recovery timeline, on November 1 the Hawks released a statement saying in part Young, “underwent an MRI on Friday [October 31].” That MRI revealed a right knee MCL sprain but no additional structural damage. He would then be re-evaluated in four weeks’ time as he rehabilitates the knee. So best case scenario, there’s a pathway for him to ramp up late this month, but his actual return could take longer.

It’s not surprising that the halfcourt offense has suffered in the wake of losing Young. Per the NBA’s tracking powered by Synergy, the 22.3% of the Hawks’ offensive possessions are transition — fourth in the league — and they log a 117 offensive rating from these possessions. For the remaining 77.7% of halfcourt possessions, their offensive rating is 114.7.

Since that fateful day in Brooklyn, Atlanta’s plan of attack has been to grab and go whenever possible. Jalen Johnson is often seen leading the break after securing a defensive rebound or forcing a turnover, and they’ve done major damage in those situations.

But lately, it’s been hard to generate those stops or live ball takeaways. In their past four games, they’ve surrendered a 121.3 defensive rating (per basketball-reference) and have only forced five steals per contest over that span. Compare that to a 111.3 defensive rating and 9.5 steals per game in all games prior to this stretch.

It’s clear the Hawks could use an injection of something — or someone — to recharge the defense and turn that defense into easier offense for the Hawks down their star point guard.

Third-year player Mouhamed Gueye has been a nice story since being drafted in the second round out of Washington State. He has worked his way past some nasty back injuries to contribute to the squad in big moments. And while he flashes some ability to stretch the floor and rim run, his defense is the real area where he’s been able to turn heads.

As Hassan wrote for us last week, his rim protection ranks among the NBA’s upper echelon. Gueye holds opponents shooting inside the restricted area to -15.7 percentage points fewer than they normally shoot there (i.e. from shooting 68.4% normally to 52.6% when defended by Gueye). That figure ranks second on the team behind Kristaps Porzingis, excluding the low minutes of N’Faly Dante.

Gueye is also contributing 1.8 blocks per 100 possessions and 1.1 steals per 100 possessions, things that can lead to runouts for easy points. His ability to play the 4 or the 5 in a variety of different positions is also valuable in an ever-changing NBA when playing two or even three big men in the same frontcourt is en vogue.

Defense takes a commitment from all five players on the floor to do their jobs, of course. It’s rare that one player can prop up a bad foundation. But it’s becoming more and more obvious that Gueye is someone that can more than merely contribute to a unit that desires to finish with a top-half defensive rating for the first time since 2016-17. He could raise the defensive ceiling.

The Hawks have tried to form an identity as a long, harassing, switchable defense, doubling down minus their 6’1”, offensively slanted guard. Gueye, who stands in at 6’11” with a 7’3” wingspan, would seem to fit this vision. He can set the tone, deny and deter easy shots near the rim, and even switch out to perimeter players and hold his own

But to date, he’s only played 256 minutes total — 16 minutes per game — despite being available for every contest. And this is despite starting center Kristaps Porzingis missing six out of 16 possible games due to injury or rest.

Yes, the Hawks have more than treaded water at 9-7. But after a strong start culminating in a strong 4-0 Western Conference road trip, bad habits plagued the team as they sought to break through from good to great.

Against a bruising Detroit Pistons squad on Tuesday, the Hawks could not find a way to corral Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, two brawny big men who had their way in the paint. They lost the points in the paint battle 66-50 as part of a 122-110 loss.

Mouhamed Gueye, however, was able to flash some fortitude against the center duo:

View Link

Then on Thursday, Gueye was reduced to just four minutes of playing time with Kristaps Porzingis returning to the lineup. The Hawks proceeded to give up 135 points to a shorthanded Spurs in a completely lackadaisical defensive performance.

Gueye got his in his four minutes, though:

View Link

“Well, he’s playing behind Jalen Johnson who’s a pretty good player,” head coach Quin Snyder had to say after the Pistons game when asked about Gueye’s minutes down the stretch. “He was the Player of the Week last week. And that takes nothing away from Mo. The other guy that’s out there, Onyeka, has played really well for us.”

Even if Gueye is fourth on the big man pecking order, there is an opportunity to open up more minutes for him. It’s clear Jalen Johnson has struggled defensively to begin the season (although he’s more than made up for it on the offensive end). Pushing Johnson to the 3 on occasion can simplify his defensive responsibilities and allow Gueye to patrol the backline.

Yes, Gueye has limitations on offense, but he’s certainly not alone among rotation players in that regard. Yes, Gueye is young and inexperienced, but this the third youngest team in the league and there’s only one way to get the requisite playing experience.

It’s time for the Hawks to put aside the idea of being a great halfcourt offensive team until the return of Young and embrace grinding out games. That takes defending with tenacity, limiting teams to one or fewer shots a possession, and getting out in the open court. Mo Gueye with his 12 rebounds and 2.9 stocks (steals plus blocks) per 100 possessions can be a real asset toward these ends.

After a listless two, well really four, games on defense, the Hawks need a kick in the rear. They need a wakeup call to recommit to the less glamourous side of the floor.

It’s as plain as day: the Atlanta Hawks need mo’ Gueye.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...e-nba-video-analysis-breakdown-advanced-stats

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Porziņģis leads Hawks past Pelicans in 115–98 victory

The Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Pelicans met tonight in a matchup that placed two teams at different stages of their early-season rhythm on the same stage, each looking to make a statement. For Atlanta, the game served as an opportunity to extend momentum and continue refining the chemistry within their dynamic backcourt. For New Orleans, it offered a chance to stabilize at home and break out of recent inconsistency.

The Atlanta Hawks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 115–98, marking the first time this season Atlanta has held an opponent under 100 points.

The Hawks were led by a standout performance from Kristaps Porziņģis, who recorded 29 points and seven rebounds on an efficient 11-of-17 shooting night. His blend of size, mobility, and perimeter skill consistently challenged the Pelicans’ defense. Whether spacing the floor or finishing inside, Porziņģis anchored Atlanta’s most decisive runs.

Jalen Johnson nearly posted a triple-double, contributing 18 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Off the bench, Vit Krejci added 21 points, providing valuable scoring depth.

The opening quarter belonged to New Orleans, which jumped ahead 25–21 through assertive rebounding and early-paced offense. However, the momentum shifted quickly. Atlanta responded with a dominant 35–21 second quarter, transforming the tone of the matchup. Increased defensive pressure, improved ball movement, and efficient transition play allowed the Hawks to convert Pelicans turnovers into scoring opportunities.

That surge extended into the third quarter, where Atlanta outscored New Orleans 32–24, effectively putting the game out of reach. Despite a slow start, the Hawks’ explosive middle quarters buried the Pelicans. Atlanta continued to execute in the fourth, adding 27 more points to seal the win.

Overall, the Hawks shot 46% from the field and 37% from three-point range, demonstrating consistent offensive discipline. Their ability to control tempo, value possessions, and maintain defensive engagement prevented New Orleans from generating any late-game momentum.

The Pelicans struggled throughout, particularly in the third quarter, and were notably without Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray due to injury. Their 18 turnovers proved costly, especially compared to Atlanta’s season-low mark of seven. While New Orleans outrebounded Atlanta 48–42, the advantage did little to compensate for their inefficiency and inability to protect the ball.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/reca...anta-pelicans-recap-latest-news-jalen-johnson

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Big win in the Big Easy, Hawks cruise to victory over Pelicans

The Atlanta Hawks were back in action on Saturday night, taking on the sputtering New Orleans Pelicans (losers of eight straight entering last night’s contest) on the road with an opportunity to not only improve their regular season record, but their draft position as well*.

*Reminder, Atlanta has control over New Orleans 2026 first-round draft pick

The Hawks were without Trae Young (MCL sprain), Keaton Wallace (personal reasons) and Onyeka Okongwu – who sat this one out due to left ankle inflammation. Dejounte Murray (torn achilles), Jordan Poole (quadricep strain), Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain), Herb Jones (back spasms), and Karlo Matkovic (right calf strain) were all out for New Orleans.

Atlanta shook off some cold first quarter shooting to come away with a comfortable 115-98 victory. Kristaps Porzingis poured in a season-high 29 points on 17 shots, schooling whoever the Pelicans tried guarding him with (though rookie forward Micah Peavy took the brunt of the damage*). Jalen Johnson finished one assist shy of a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

*More on this below

Vit Krejci, aka ‘Pistol Vit’, kept up his red-hot shooting streak* – going for 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Dyson Daniels guarded Pelicans first-round pick Derik Queen for the majority of the contest, and finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists against his former team.

*More on Vit below!

Queen finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and three assists for New Orleans. Former Hawk Saddiq Bey added 18 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

---

Summary​

A sloppy first quarter on both ends of the floor saw Atlanta trailing 25-21 after the first 12 minutes, and New Orleans led by seven early in the second quarter before Jalen Johnson took over.

A three from Jose Alvarado put the Pelicans up 32-25 with 9:21 left in the period, then Johnson scored or assisted on 16 of Atlanta’s next 23 points as part of a 27-8 run over the next eight minutes to put them in the driver’s seat the rest of the way.

Let’s take a closer look at this stretch from Johnson.

After a jumper by Porzingis got the party started, Johnson cans a corner three off the drive and dish from Luke Kennard. Poor defense from New Orleans here as nobody closes out to the corner shooter until it’s too late.

On the next possession, Johnson meets Jordan Hawkins at the rim for a denial, then takes it coast to coast for a two-handed jam*. A quintessential Jalen Johnson play.

*Question: Are we going to see Johnson pull out an in-game free throw line slam at some point? The hangtime on this slam was pretty nuts.

JALEN JOHNSON HELLO pic.twitter.com/iD7te7HKpi

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2025

A few possessions later, Atlanta comes up with a stop then Johnson takes it the other way and draws a shooting foul on Queen in transition. He sinks both free throws – giving him nine straight points for the Hawks, getting them back in the ball game.

After a bucket from Queen, both teams trade misses before Johnson completes an outrageous full court pass to Risacher, who (all in one motion) catches it and throws a lob to Porzingis who hammers home the slam to complete the highlight. A lovely play, all started by Johnson’s hit-ahead pass.

Full-court BEAUTY pic.twitter.com/ONh8lupAnf

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2025

Queen turns the ball over on the Pelicans next possession and subsequently commits a transition take-foul. Then, on the next play, Johnson finds ‘KP’ in the corner for a practice three to put the Hawks up six. Nice job from Alexander-Walker to flip the screen, Johnson beats Fears, engages the help defender, then kicks it to Porzingis.

A few plays later, with the margin still at six, Johnson completes another highlight play in transition – this time finding Porzingis himself for an alley-oop.

JJ no-look lob to KP pic.twitter.com/GDQTXL2rmc

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2025

After a miss from New Orleans, Johnson comes down, gets the switch onto Queen, drawing him out of the paint while Porzingis posts up on rookie guard Jeremiah Fears. Johnson sees this all the way, dumps the ball down to ‘KP’ in the post and Fears can’t do anything but foul the big man, resulting in free throws for Atlanta (New Orleans is in the bonus).

Just a dominant stretch from Johnson and the Hawks – who also locked in defensively over this stretch – to seize control of the game. New Orleans turned the ball over six times in the second quarter directly leading to 14 points for the Hawks.

“It’s big for us,” said Snyder of the team’s defense after the game, “We’re able to run off our defense when we get stops.”

Atlanta led by 10 at the half and had the momentum at the beginning of the third quarter, but couldn’t pull away until Vit Krejci caught fire at the end of the period.

Krejci checked in midway through the third and scored his first points of the night off this pretty feed from Alexander-Walker.

Nickeil drops a DIME for a Vit triple pic.twitter.com/JipdJQDV2v

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2025

A few possessions later, he benefits off some nice ball movement in the half-court, kicked off by a Dyson Daniels drive. Nailing a three from the opposite wing.

After a turnover from Daniels on Atlanta’s next possession, Vit wastes no time on the following possession, hitting a three from the top of the key just seconds into the shot clock.

Then to close the quarter, Daniels sets up Vit again, who hits his fourth three in a row – then lets the bench know about it* as the buzzer sounds.

*Vit with a little motion is a scary sight for the rest of the league.

HEAT CZECH

Vit with 4 threes in the 3rd quarter pic.twitter.com/eWwlKPD09T

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2025

Atlanta led by 18 going into the final frame and never let the lead slip below 15 the rest of the way. Vit added three more triples in the fourth, and the Hawks emptied their bench in the final minutes. After some tomfoolery by Derik Queen in the final seconds, Atlanta went home with a 17-point win.

The Hawks tried to run out the clock but Derik Queen had other plans

(h/t @Fullcourtpass)pic.twitter.com/s1F18WNEGm

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 23, 2025

A few observations on last night’s victory.

---

Frontcourt Dominates​

This was Kristaps Porzingis’ highest scoring outing of the season (29 points on 17 shots) and watching back his buckets, looking at who was guarding him, it’s really no surprise he looked so comfortable.

Early in the second, Porzingis (7’2”, 240 pounds) has Micah Peavy (6’7”, 215 pounds) guarding him in the post. He backs him down and powers through him for an easy bucket.

A few plays later, Peavy finds himself in a similar situation, and is powerless to stop ‘KP’ once again.

Early in the third, Atlanta pushes the pace off a Pelicans make. Porzingis is matched up on Trey Murphy III (6’8”, 205 pounds) on the interior and it’s an easy slam for the big man.

In the fourth, the Pelicans leave Peavy on an island against Porzingis (perhaps rookie hazing?), and the result is unsurprising.

The Pelicans present an extreme example given their lack of size, but this is just a taste of what Porzingis – one of the most efficient post scorers in the NBA over the past few seasons – can do when presented with a mismatch. New Orleans had no answers for him last night.

Another player who (as always) deserves praise for their performance was Jalen Johnson. Johnson did most of his scoring in the first half – with 15 of his 18 points coming in the first two quarters – then played the role of a distributor in the second half, racking up six out of his nine assists in the second half.

As a scorer, Johnson shot 2-for-4 from beyond the arc last night and is now shooting 41% from three through his first 14 games of the season (3.2 attempts per game) – a big-time improvement after converting just 32.3% of his threes over his first four seasons in the league. Whether or not he can sustain this efficiency going forwards is to be determined, but one encouraging sign is that he’s raised his free throw percentage to 81% this season after shooting just 71% at the stripe over his first four seasons.

Still, the part of Johnson’s game that popped for me last night was his transition playmaking. All of Johnson’s assists last night resulted in either a dunk or a three, with six of them coming against an un-set defense.

In the first quarter, he drives baseline early in the shot-clock then kicks to Kennard for a corner three. Credit to both Gueye and Kennard for filling their lanes in transition.

In the third, he hits Risacher for an alley-oop on the fastbreak.

In the fourth, the Hawks have a five-on-four advantage and Johnson connects with Porzingis for an easy two.

Johnson’s unselfishness is, in my opinion, his very best quality on the offensive end and while he does need to reign in the turnovers, I’ve really enjoyed watching him come into his own as a playmaker over the past few games (8.9 assists per game over his last seven games).

Turnover Margin a Crucial Difference​

While Porzingis and Johnson were certainly catalysts for Atlanta’s win last night, one key difference between the two sides last night was seen in the turnover and points-off-turnovers margin. New Orleans turned the ball over 18 times, directly leading to 25 points for the Hawks. Meanwhile Atlanta turned the ball over just seven times, leading to only nine points for New Orleans. Those numbers are slightly inflated by Derik Queen’s steal and slam at the death too.

While the Pelicans were missing some key players, they actually ranked 12th in defensive turnover rate entering last night’s matchup, making Atlanta’s ball security all the more impressive. Their seven turnovers last night was their second-lowest total in a game this season, and the lowest since Trae Young has been out of the lineup.

“That’s been something that’s really been a point of emphasis, and something we’ve done poorly. It makes it difficult to defend when you turn the ball over, so it was good to see our guys collectively improve in that area,” said Snyder postgame.

On the other end, the Hawks came into the game ranked fourth in defensive turnover rate, and they continued to wreak havoc on that end last night. While the Hawks only came up with six steals and primarily used the defensive glass to spark their transition attacks, they were extremely disruptive, making it hard for the Pelicans to get into a rhythm offensively.

Vit Czech!​

How could I sign off without saying a few words about the player who is currently leading the NBA in three-point shooting percentage* at 50% (!) for the season on 5.7 attempts per game. Krejci hit seven threes last night – the third time this season he’s made at least six threes in a game. He is one of six players** to have hit six or more threes on at least three different occasions this season.

*min. 5 attempts per game

**Joining ‘Pistol Vit’ on this list: Miles Bridges, Steph Curry, James Harden, Lauri Markkanen, Tyrese Maxey and Donovan Mitchell.

He is shooting 29-for-48 (60.4%) from three over his last seven outings, something that’s only been accomplished by 11 other players in NBA history (including current teammate Luke Kennard!).

Last player to shoot 60+% from three on at least 48 attempts over a seven game span… Luke Kennard in 2023.

Only 11 players ever (!) have experienced the type of heater Vit is on at the moment. Pretty incredible.#PistolVit https://t.co/h7B13UOfex pic.twitter.com/8U1MB0eBbf

— Hassan Ladiwala (@ladiwala_hassan) November 23, 2025

Just absurd stuff from a player whose contract isn’t even guaranteed for next season.

Many of you will remember that Krejci was an extremely timid shooter when he first arrived in Atlanta back in 2022. He first made a name for himself with an absurd razzle-dazzle assist (honestly one of my favorite plays ever), and he was profiled as a pass-first playmaker rather than a play finisher.

The growth we’ve seen from then until now has been absolutely breathtaking. The confidence he’s playing with at the moment is truly a joy to behold.

Every Vit Krecji 3-pointer from his absurd hot streak, sit back and enjoy:#Hawks https://t.co/BTxbWEE84r pic.twitter.com/S447AjVFex

— Off Peachtree (@OffPeachtree) November 23, 2025

---

What’s next?​

Quick turnaround for Atlanta, who play the Charlotte Hornets at 6 PM today on their home floor. Both teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, though Charlotte played at 1 PM yesterday giving them a few extra hours of rest.

The Hornets haven’t done many things well this season (19th in offense, 24th in defense), but they will present a test on the glass – ranking in the top five on both ends of the floor. The Hawks have notably struggled in the rebounding department this season, ranking in the bottom five on both ends, making this an area to watch in tonight’s matchup.

Stay tuned!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...is-vit-krejci-kristaps-porzingis-video-quotes

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s two-way efforts power Hawks past Hornets, 113-110

The Atlanta Hawks were in action on Sunday evening to face the Hornets. After a comfortable win against the New Orleans Pelicans the night before, the Hawks were looking for a back-to-back victory, but this time, at home. The Hawks were without Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard in this one, but the Hornets were missing a few of their key players as well.

Zaccharie Risacher was active to start the game, getting an easy dunk and 3-pointer.

Zacch corner pocket pic.twitter.com/DDbIl7bwLA

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2025

The Hawks got out to a 12-6 lead, but the Hornets stormed back and went on a run themselves. They continued to score at will in the paint and extended their lead to as much as eight points. The Hawks didn’t falter for too long and went on their own run down the stretch of the first.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker started the run with a 3-pointer.

NAW for 123 pic.twitter.com/P7ResaDsmn

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2025

Jalen Johnson connected with Onyeka Okongwu for an alley-oop dunk.

Alley OOp pic.twitter.com/1Os5sZO8up

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2025

Going into the second, the Hawks led 28-25. The beginning of the quarter belonged to the Hornets, and more specifically, Kon Knueppel and K.J. Simpson, who had the first ten points for them. The Hawks stayed in, and they got a 3-pointer from Dyson Daniels later in the quarter.

Dyson, Jalen, back to Dyson, 3 points pic.twitter.com/yys57mpVx0

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 23, 2025

Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer to keep the Hawks in the game, his second of the game.

JJ knocks down his 2nd triple of the night pic.twitter.com/KXJQYeRCYf

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 24, 2025

It was pretty much a back-and-forth game going into the second half, as the Hawks trailed 55-53. To start the third quarter, Daniels got a few of his floaters to go.

Dyson drops in a couple floaters to start the 3rd pic.twitter.com/BQ0G3xwdwz

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 24, 2025

Momentum continued for the Hawks throughout the quarter, and Johnson got the crowd rocking after this dunk.

JJ Flyinggggggg pic.twitter.com/NNhnipTrbB

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 24, 2025

Keaton Wallace turned defense into offense late in the quarter, getting the steal and throwing it down on the other end.

Keaton cookies and jam!! pic.twitter.com/J0mnsIRqzu

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 24, 2025

Mouhamed Gueye then got a big block on Miles Bridges, and the Hawks turned it into three points on offense. Going into the fourth, the Hawks led 92-88.

Mo protecting that rim pic.twitter.com/RT4uMGCLaY

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 24, 2025

They kept that momentum from the end of the third and rolled it into the fourth, especially Wallace.

Three-ton Wallace pic.twitter.com/rSmnbOJ4L3

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 24, 2025

The Hawks had a lead as big as ten in the fourth, but the Hornets fought their way back into the game. The Hornets took the lead late in the quarter, and the Hawks had to find a way to weather the storm. They did, with Johnson hitting a tough fadeaway.

Tough bucket JJ pic.twitter.com/Ui4Gnhad38

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 24, 2025

Alexander-Walker then got a layup on the net offensive possession to give the Hawks the lead.

NAW for the LEAD pic.twitter.com/MhEKMPuVYQ

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 24, 2025

The Hawks got several stops on defense to maintain the one-point lead, and the Hornets had to play the foul game. Alexander-Walker went to the free throw line and split the two, giving the Hawks a 112-110 lead with 11.3 seconds left. The Hornets were not able to get a clean shot off, as Alexander-Walker came up with the steal, and was fouled. He split the free throws once again, and the Hawks led by three with 4.9 seconds.

NICKEIL STEAL pic.twitter.com/XjXGnEV273

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 24, 2025

The Hornets had another shot, but were unsuccessful in their efforts to tie the game, and the Hawks took the win.

Johnson finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists, Alexander-Walker finished with 23 points, and Daniels finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.

The Hawks will be back in action on Tuesday against the Washington Wizards.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/reca...-way-efforts-power-hawks-past-hornets-113-110

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hornets at Hawks: start time, TV, streaming, radio, game thread

The Hawks meet their Southeast Division rivals for the first time this season.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen​

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Start Time: 6:00 PM EDT

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...time-tv-streaming-radio-game-thread-charlotte

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks rally late to recover victory from Hornets

The Atlanta Hawks returned to State Farm Arena following their victory in New Orleans on Saturday night and swept the back-to-back as Atlanta rallied in the fourth quarter to secure the 113-110 victory.

Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 28 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds and Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 23 points as four Hawks scored 20 or more points. For the Hornets, Kon Knueppel scored 28 points with Collin Sexton adding 22 points.

A game of runs would be best way to describe this game, particularly in the first half as the Hawks began well, before a Hornets run swung the early advantage in their favor…then the Hawks went on a run… you get the general idea.

It was a closely contested first half, with no team leading by more than eight points in the first half. That trend would continue for much of the second half, including towards the end of the third quarter, where the Hornets held a one point lead but a great sequence for the Hawks saw them flip this small advantage, and momentum, on their side.

It starts with a great find by Johnson to set up Mo Gueye for a dunk at the rim:

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Gueye then follows this up with a great block at the rim, blocking Miles Bridges at the rim and right into the arms of Keaton Wallace, who can begin the fastbreak:

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This fuels the Hawks’ transition, who swing the ball around to Alexander-Walker, who hits the three at a pivotal point in third quarter:

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Some good plays by Vit Krejci here, who may not have been able to impact the game scoring-wise last night but came up with a good offensive rebound and assist in that sequence.

The Hawks kept this momentum rolling in the fourth quarter and took the game’s first double-digit lead with 7:59 remaining in the fourth. Alas, similar to the previous 36 minutes, any advantage either side in this game never lasted long.

The Hornets dug into the Hawks’ lead, who hit offensive trouble to the stage where their once strong-looking fourth quarter momentum into a three points Hornets lead with 3;17 remaining. The Hawks would have to find one more run within themselves if they wanted to secure this game, so let’s take a look at how it happened.

The first stage of the comeback isn’t even the Hawks getting on the board, it’s, arguably, the offensive foul call on Sexton which, if uncalled, would’ve given the Hornets a five point lead. Instead, Dyson Daniels draws the offensive foul on the drive:

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With the shot clock winding down on the Hawks’ next offensive trip, Johnson bails out a difficult possession as he drains the clutch turnaround jumpshot over Bridges:

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Johnson is present in the Hawks’ defensive sequence that follows, and between himself and Onyeka Okongwu they do a good job forcing a difficult pass by Knueppel in traffic to Moussa Diabate, with Alexander-Walker in close proximity to put pressure on the attempted catch, as the ball trickles out of bounds:

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The Hawks ensure to make a quick reply as Alexander-Walker gets his head down on the drive, getting into the chest of Sion James to score at the rim after carving an opening:

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This was the last made field goal of the game, by either side, and the Hawks — while missing some shots offensively — locked in on the defensive end to produce consecutive stops.

The first comes courtesy of Daniels, who contains the Sexton drive and contests the shot, only for the loose ball to be contested by Alexander-Walker and Diabate for the jump-ball:

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Unsurprisingly, Diabate wins the tip but Krejci does a great job containing Bridges and his physicality, and forces a tough, turnaround shot as the clock winds down:

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Krejci had a bit more of a difficult time keeping Knueppel in front of him, and after a late rotation from Okongwu to make life difficult at the rim the shot is missed, with Daniels, Okongwu and Krejci all scrambling for the rebound:

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Sexton and Krejci get tied up for the jump ball, with Krejci winning the tip and Okongwu saving the possession to return the ball to the hosts:

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This was a hugely important pay not just from Krejci, but a great save by Okongwu to save possession and essentially force the Hornets to have to play the fouling game. Alexander-Walker made life perhaps a little more stressful than need by by splitting two trips to the line, but not before he produces a potentially game-saving strip at the rim:

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“We know what kind of defender he is,” said Hawks head coach Quin Snyder of this Alexander-Walker play. “When you have guys who have that ability, there’s times in the game where they raise their level: that’s what I saw.

A fantastic defensive highlight, but one that is short-lived as his second split pair of free throws in the clutch gives the Hornets one final chance to tie the game at the buzzer. As he often is, Daniels is in place to offer strong perimeter defense — combined with a poor shot from Bridges — which fails to draw iron, and the Hawks secure the victory:

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Another successful sweep of the back-to-back for the Hawks, who did not want to use fatigue as an excuse in this game, especially as the Hornets were also on the second night of a back-to-back.

“Those games are tough ones, both coming off of back-to-backs“ said Dyson Daniels postgame. ”They came in and fought hard, we strung stops together. Shoutout Nickeil getting a strip at the end. It’s what we pride ourselves on is our defense, get stops, get out running and that’s how we want to play. Whenever we do that, we’re going to be alright on the offensive end.“

“Being in the present moment,” added Alexander-Walker of how to fight off fatigue in a back-to-back situation. “They were on a back-to-back so I think it took away the excuse we had … trust me, we felt it, I felt it all game.

Jalen Johnson believed it was more a case of ‘mind over matter.’

“It’s all just mental at the end of the day,” said Johnson. “They’re coming off a back-to-back too, not to make excuses, or we can find a way to scrounge out those type of wins, dig deep. It was big on our end to not let fatigue play a factor at the end.”

Fatigue certainly didn’t seem to evident in the Hawks’ four 20+ points scorers: Jalen Johnson (28 points), Alexander-Walker (23 points), Dyson Daniels (22 points), and Okongwu (20 points).

Johnson was excellent last night, truly the leader of this team behind an efficient 28 points (11-of-22 from the field), eight rebounds, and perhaps the most impressive stat of the night from Johnson: 11 assists with zero turnovers. Point-Jalen was finding his teammates all night long, picking his own spots and his teammates spots with patience and control all night long.

“His decision-making is a huge thing for us,” said Snyder of Johnson. “He’s really taken pride in that. That, and defending are two areas of the game where he’s watching a lot of tape. Usually, he’s so dynamic in transition and some of the turnovers for him are careless passes which he’s tightened up on. In the half-court, being in situations where he’s poised in the lane, he’s patient, and he really is able to read the defense.”

From finding the baseline cutter in Zaccharie Risacher with the bounce pass:

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To getting into the Hornets’ defense and spraying out to the perimeter, finding Okongwu for a corner three:

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In transition, Johnson finds Okongwu for an alley-oop, contributing to two of the Hawks’ 17 fastbreak points on the game:

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As a side-note, impressively, the Hornets scored zero fastbreak points last night — a huge credit to the Hawks’ defense getting back down the floor off of their misses.

Continuing with Johnson’s playmaking, Johnson combined on a number of occasions with Daniels, and these plays were fun to watch as they combined for similar plays. On the drive from the wing, Johnson finds Daniels — who sets a screen for Johnson prior to receiving the ball — who gets into his floater:

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Next, Daniels tries to get inside the paint but is cut off by Mason Plumlee, and passes the ball back out to Johnson. Johnson drives and Daniels runs this beautiful faux-screen/spin into the open pocket where Daniels gets into his floater:

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Johnson and Daniels also found themselves working into some three-point opportunities such as this one, where Daniels sets the screen on the drive for Johnson, while Daniels fades to the three-point line as the defense leaves him open on the perimeter to swarm Johnson:

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While Daniels made this three, the Hornets allowed this play to happen on a number of occasions, with Daniels shooting 1-of-4 from three.

Daniels was asked about these opportunities postgame, and described how the Hawks can work such scenarios to their advantage, and outlining the need to continue to work on his three-pointers.

“It’s about mixing it up,” said Daniels. “If they’re dropping, I’m going to keep taking shots and I made one, the last three didn’t drop so it’s about getting into the paint and creating for myself, creating for others. If they’re going to be that far off me we can use that to our advantage. We can be setting screens and getting guys like ‘JJ’ downhill on open play in the pocket, use my floater. There’s a lot of ways to work around that when they’re dropped off like that, it’s just about exploiting that matchup. For me, it’s about getting in the gym and becoming more comfortable shooting those threes so they do have to respect me more out there. I also have got to take them with confidence and knock them down.”

Daniels is beginning to attempt more threes now compared to the start of the season. In his last two games he’s attempted eight total threes, but only shooting 1-of-8 of those opportunities.

“Sometimes teams want to bait you into an early shot,” said Snyder of Daniels postgame. “…You’ve got to stay aggressive, whether it’s taking your shot or driving to the basket. I thought he made really good decisions in there, too. When it’s crowded in there, sometimes it’s the threat of him passing out which creates the shot…”

Outside of those threes, Daniels enjoyed a great game: 22 points on 10-of-17 from the field, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals. Daniels’ floater was excellent last night, combining with Johnson on a number of possessions.

Alexander-Walker, meanwhile, had a slow start to the game but found his rhythm to finish with 22 points on 8-of-17 from the field, 3-of-7 from three, and 4-of-6 from the free throw line.

Defensively, Alexander-Walker’s contribution late on was huge in the context of this victory, something that Alexander-Walker takes pride in and described how he sees plays such as the strip on Knueppel.

“I try to pride myself on being a defender in this league and understanding where my minutes were going to come from,” said Alexander-Walker. “It’s just instinctual, one-on-one, playing defense understanding guys on the gather, on pick-ups and ball placement. Sometimes you kind of bait into it with body placement, forcing him, cutting him off on one side. Once you do that, there’s only so many alternatives to a counter. Once he gets into that counter you try to know ‘OK, this is the motion.’ More times than not, doing it offensively you’re going to know ‘I’m can either to scoop here or try go quick.‘ I knew the time, and the feel in the moment, to time it.”

With Kristaps Porzingis resting on the second night of a back-to-back, Okongwu got the nod again at center and he delivered, as he often does, scoring 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting. He took a lot of threes this game, shooting 2-of-7 from distance, but came up with some big plays throughout the night, and a big play to save the possession after the late jump ball.

Those four, Johnson, Daniels, Alexander-Walker, and Okongwu have consistently performed and contributed in their own way as Trae Young, and others during this stretch, have missed time.

With the bench not quite having a huge impact scoring, their production was essential on the night. Keaton Wallace was solid off the bench with 10 points, but Krejci struggled to get involved scoring the ball, and Risacher — while starting strong — seemed to float through this game, scoring just five points in 21 minutes.

As a team, the Hawks took great care of the ball, registering 32 assists for just seven turnovers. Similarly, the Hawks punished the Hornets for their turnovers, scoring 23 points off of the Hornets’ 15 turnovers. For the second night of a back-to-back, the Hawks played well and executed well down the stretch to overturn, albeit, a small Hornets lead — less so with their offense but sealing the game with their defense once they took the lead. This was a victory that was secured with the Hawks’ defense, which is always an encouraging outcome for the Hawks when they’re able to seal games like this.

The Hawks (11-7) will now travel to Washington to take on the 1-15 Washington Wizards. While that may seem like a good thing, there are lingering memories from last year where the Hawks lost two straight games to the Wizards, which were both awful losses but more demonstrated that, despite the record, upsets of this nature can happen in the NBA if the Hawks underestimate their opponent.

They will be, of course, heavy favorites to win and should see a comfortable victory, but last season serves as a solid cautionary tale!

Until next time!

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/anal...ohnson-dyson-daniels-nickeil-alexander-walker

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks at Pelicans: start time, TV, streaming, radio, game thread

The Atlanta Hawks have a chance to help themselves in the standings and in the NBA draft lottery odds at the same time against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen​

Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA

Start Time: 7:00 PM EDT

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/atla...ans-start-time-tv-streaming-radio-game-thread

 

[Atlanta Hawks]

Hawks trip on several rakes, giving Wiz their second win, 132-113

The Hawks have had a strangely competitive recent streak against the moribund Washington Wizards. Tonight, they looked to handle business in NBA Cup action against their division rivals.

Minus Trae Young, the Hawks had everyone available for this one. The Wizards were without their breakout player Kyshawn George, lottery pick Tre Johnson, and veteran former lottery pick Marvin Bagley III.

The early minutes were one-sided against the Hawks’ favor. They simply couldn’t buy a bucket, and CJ McCollum and company poured in almost every attempt on the other end. In a flash, the Hawks were in an 18-2 hole. The had to get out their shovels and start digging.

Somehow, it got worse. The Hawks defense parted like the Red Sea for a few possessions and gave up open layups. The score ballooned to 31-8 with under eight minutes played in the game.

And then, amazingly, it got worse. The Wizards began 8-for-8 from three and Atlanta just looked mentally checked out before the first quarter had ended.

After one quarter, it was a blowout, 45-23.

The Hawks regained some footing in the second quarter, but it was difficult to put a dent in the huge deficit. Still, they registered some nice defensive stops and cut a once 29-point gap into just being down 13 points around halfway through the second quarter.

Here, Jalen Johnson more than meets Bub Carrington at the rim:

Jalen with an outstanding blocked shot pic.twitter.com/oZWqSBWjO3

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 26, 2025

But the Wizards pushed back, and, led by CJ McCollum’s 27 on 10-for-13 shooting, they took a 77-55 lead into halftime.

The second half isn’t even worth recapping. It was a dreadful showing against a previously one-win team that the Hawks need to never let happen again.

Wizards won 132-113. CJ McCollum dropped in 46 points on 17-for-25 shooting. No Hawks deserve their stat line highlighted.

The team will have almost 72 hours to stew on this awful performance before they play the Cavaliers at home on Black Friday.

Source: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/reca...-washington-final-recap-nbn-score-latest-news