Following a heartbreaking-loss in Detroit Friday, the Atlanta Hawks had a quick turnaround for a home showdown with the Chicago Bulls Saturday night.
The tired legs became an issue for the Hawks as they failed to hold on to an 18-point lead, and eventually fell to Chicago, 125-113. The Bulls used a 35-15 fourth quarter to put away Atlanta and win the first match-up of the season series.
The Hawks are now 2-4 in the month of November and are on the eve of the NBA Cup which starts in Boston on Tuesday.
All five Hawks’ starters did score in double-figures, but the bench did not contribute much. Chicago outscored Atlanta 48-26 in that category.
Trae Young added another double-double to his 2024-25 resume, with 14 points and 16 assists. Zaccharie Risacher drew the start again, while De’Andre Hunter was ruled out due to the birth of his child, and finished with a respectable 17 points on 42.8% shooting.
Young and Risacher combined to go only 3-of-12 from the three. As a whole, Atlanta shot poorly from beyond the arc, shooting 31% as a team in this one.
Jalen Johnson stuffed the stat-sheet with 20 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, with a block and a steal. Clint Capela had a season-high 20 points, while corralling 9 rebounds.
One bright spot and something to highlight for Atlanta, is Dyson Daniels continued stellar play on the defensive side of the ball. Following up his career-high-seven-steal night in Detroit, Daniels followed it up with a six-steal evening against Chicago. He also poured in 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds as well.
Atlanta will get a day to recoup before they begin their campaign for the NBA cup.
