The Atlanta Hawks opened the 2023-2024 season on Wednesday night with a 116-110 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. After an encouraging preseason on both ends of the floor, Atlanta struggled to knock down shots and keep the Hornets out of the paint. The Hawks shot only 5-29 from long range, with superstar Trae Young going 1-9 from beyond the arc.
The game started off well for the Hawks on the defensive end. However, neither team built a strong lead in the first frame. The Hornets threw the first punch, taking a 12-17 lead midway through the quarter, but Atlanta responded with a 6-0 run of its own to take an 18-17 lead. After some back-and-forth scoring, the Hawks’ lockdown defense generated three consecutive steals resulting in dunks for Bogdan Bogdanovic and Jalen Johnson. Young’s pass off the backboard to Johnson for a ferocious slam was a high point for the Hawks in this season’s inaugural match. Atlanta led the game 29-25 after the first quarter behind seven early points from Johnson. Mark Williams led Charlotte with seven of his own.
Both teams struggled to knock down shots to begin the second quarter. Hornets star LaMelo Ball was 0-6 from the floor and did not make a field goal for the duration of the first half. However, as was the case many times, Johnson’s activity on both ends of the floor sparked a Hawks run as they took a 43-33 lead. Atlanta forced the Hornets into 10 turnovers, and seven of those resulted in steals for the Hawks. Johnson’s great transition scoring was on full display, as he would lead the Hawks with 13 points at the half. However, long-time Hawks nemesis Terry Rozier caught fire with back-to-back threes toward the end of the second frame, cutting the Hawks lead to 52-21 at halftime.
The Hornets took a 61-60 lead with a Gordon Hayward mid-range shot with 7:59 left in the third quarter. Head Coach Quin Snyder responded with a timeout to settle his troops and reorganize. However, the Hawks could not replicate their defensive effort from the first half. The Hornets extended their lead to 76-69, as Ball, Rozier and P.J. Washington carried the offensive load. Atlanta could only muster 21 points in the third quarter, and Charlotte entered the final frame with a 78-73 lead.
Atlanta badly needed a spark from someone other than Johnson. Saddiq Bey stepped up to meet this challenge midway through the fourth quarter. He hit a big three to cut Charlotte’s lead to one and stole Hornets’ rookie Brandon Miller’s bad pass and threw down a dunk at the other end to give the Hawks an 88-87 lead. Miller retaliated, scoring eight of the next 14 points to give the Hornets a 101-99 lead. After struggling with their shots for the majority of the contest, Young and Dejounte Murray tried to lift their squad to victory with points at the charity stripe and in the paint, but it would not be enough.
Atlanta’s star backcourt could not find the range, as Young shot 4-19 and Murray went 3-14 from the floor, finishing with 23 and 11 points, respectively. It is hard to win in this league when a team’s two best players shoot a combined 7-33. Bey ended with 15 points after a red-hot fourth quarter, and Clint Capela dropped in a 15-point, 13-rebound, double-double. Off the bench, Johnson was magnificent with 21 points on 9-13 shooting, seven rebounds, two steals and a block.
For Charlotte, Williams dominated down low with 13 points, 15 rebounds and two steals. Washington shot an efficient 12-18 from the floor on his way to 25 points, and Ball had a 15-point (4-15 FG), 10-assist double-double. Rozier dropped 24 points and sliced the Hawks defense in the second half, going 8-12 at the free throw line.
Ultimately, Atlanta generated a lot of open looks, and they would not fall. The Hawks forced Charlotte into 19 turnovers but could not make them pay enough for their mistakes. The Hawks will have their eyes focused on their first win of the season at the home opener on Friday, October 27, as the rival New York Knicks come to Atlanta.
