The Atlanta Hawks put an abrupt end to the Oklahoma City Thunder's five-game hot streak with a 141-138 victory, propelled by Jalen Johnson's career-high 28 points, Atlanta News First reports. While the Thunder swooped into Wednesday night's matchup riding a surge of success, it was Atlanta that came out on top, thanks to notable performances from Trae Young with 24 points and 11 assists, and another 23 and 22 points from Bogdan Bogdanovic and Dejounte Murray, respectively.
From the whistle, the Hawks snatched a quick 11-point lead, hammering down their advantage and never once looking back as Johnson nailed 12 points in the second quarter, including a highlight-reel jam over Oklahoma City's 7-footer Chet Holmgren, according to a statement obtained by The Star. Despite a late-game effort from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who ended the night with 33 points and 13 rebounds and a flurry of buckets slicing Atlanta's lead, Isaiah Joe’s potential game-tier from the three-point line faltered, sealing Oklahoma City's fate.
Oklahoma's head coach Mark Daigneault admitted the team didn't showcase their best performance but lauded their resilience in staying engaged; he chalked up part of the night's outcome to playing on the Hawks' terms, as told to The Star. Meanwhile, the Hawks' Clint Capela snatched a double-double contributing 12 points with yet another strong 14 rebounds.
Fatigue may have played its sly hand with the Thunder, who appeared a step behind after missing their initial seven shots from the field, compounding the challenge of facing an aggressive Atlanta offense hot on the heels of their own back-to-back games and a wearying late-night flight to Georgia, Atlanta News First disclosed. Looking forward, both teams are back in action Friday, with Oklahoma City dueling the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta clashing with the Indiana Pacers.
