The Washington Wizards outlasted the Atlanta Hawks, 121-119, at State Farm Arena on Monday night for their first win of the season. Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma shot a combined 11-17 from beyond the arc for 26 and 25 points, respectively. Corey Kispert also joined in on the three-point fun, shooting 4-9 from deep with 21 points off the Wizards’ bench. Even though the Hawks forced the Wizards into 18 turnovers, Atlanta committed 16 of their own to leave the door open for a comeback. Similar to the previous contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Hawks controlled the majority of the game but could not stop the Wizards’ three-point barrage.
After a quick start, Trae Young struggled with his shot. Bilal Coulibaly played impressive defense on the Hawks’ star. Young did not have a field goal after the first quarter and finished with 14 points on 2-15 shooting. In contrast, Jalen Johnson broke out of his slow start for a career-high 29 points (11-17 FG) with 12 rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and a block. He was aggressive off the catch and attacked the seams of the defense before Washington had a chance to wall off any driving lanes in rotation.
Onyeka Okongwu missed this contest due to load management, so Larry Nance Jr. made his Hawks’ debut and impressed with 15 points (3-5 3PT), four assists, two steals, and one block.
Atlanta started off strong, with a 12-2 lead right out of the gate, emphasizing turning great defense into easy offense; however, it did not last long. Washington countered with an 8-0 run, and the Hawks had a stretch in the latter part of the frame when they shot 4-15 from the field. Even though the Wizards gave Atlanta extra possessions, the home team could not capitalize after the opening moments. The Hawks settled for a 28-25 lead heading into the second frame.
Once again, Atlanta started the quarter off strong. Nance, Garrison Mathews, who scored 14 points, Vít Krejčí, and David Roddy were all instrumental in taking back a 37-27 lead. However, with the Hawks already down key players in De’Andre Hunter, Kobe Bufkin, Bogdan Bogdanović, and Okongwu, Krejčí suffered an adductor injury and did not return. Atlanta still took a 61-54 lead into halftime, even though Poole scored 19 first-half points. The Hawks collected 10 first-half steals, but their defense did not stay strong in the second half. The Wizards outscored Atlanta 30-22 in the third quarter, forcing the Hawks into 10 turnovers.
Washington took an 84-83 lead after Kispert hit a three to send the game to the final frame. In a crazy sequence, both teams combined for six triples in as many possessions to start the fourth. After a back-and-forth battle, the Wizards pulled away with a 110-101 lead with four minutes left. Just when it seemed like the Hawks were dead in the water, Clint Capela, who put up 16 points, flushed home a dunk to cut the deficit to five. After Atlanta sent Poole to the line to stop the clock, Dyson Daniels hit a clutch triple to bring Atlanta within one point. Kispert converted one of his two free throws, giving the Hawks a chance to win with a three. However, Coulibaly played great defense on Young and forced him into a fading, low-percentage shot, sending Hawks fans home unhappy.
Young and the Hawks have an opportunity to take revenge on Wednesday night when both teams meet again in the nation’s capital.
