The Atlanta Hawks conclude their four-game homestand on tonight (Saturday, December 28.) with a matinee matchup against the Miami Heat. Following the contest, the team embarks on a season-long six-game road trip with stops in Toronto (12/29), Denver (1/1), Los Angeles Lakers (1/3), LA Clippers (1/4), Utah (1/7), and Phoenix (1/9).
Atlanta heads into the Miami game riding the momentum of a historic 141-133 win over the Chicago Bulls on December 26 at the award-winning State Farm Arena. The Hawks deliver a stunning fourth-quarter performance, outscoring the Bulls 50-25, marking the first time since February 12, 2021 (vs. San Antonio), they outscore an opponent by at least 25 points in the final frame. Atlanta commits just one turnover in the quarter, becoming the first team in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) to score at least 50 points in a single quarter while recording one or fewer turnovers—an achievement unprecedented in approximately 66,000 fourth quarters played across the NBA during that span.
In the dominant fourth quarter, the Hawks post an offensive rating of 185.2 and a defensive rating of 96.2, per NBA.com/Stats. Their 89.0 net rating in the quarter stands as the highest in a single quarter this season. The 50-point outburst is also the most points scored in a fourth quarter in franchise history, surpassing the previous mark of 48 points, which occurred three times: April 15, 1997 (vs. New Jersey), February 17, 1967 (at Baltimore), and February 25, 1957 (at Minnesota).
The victory over Chicago also highlights the Hawks’ resilience. Down by as many as 21 points and trailing 126-110 with 5:30 remaining, Atlanta mounts a furious comeback, outscoring the Bulls 31-7 in the final stretch. This marks the first time since April 9, 2017, that the Hawks erase a 16-point deficit in the final 5:30 of regulation (vs. Cleveland).
Hunter and Johnson Shine in Victory
De’Andre Hunter continues his strong form, averaging 22.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists over his last 13 games on .508 FG%, .483 3FG%, and .900 FT%. Since November 27, Hunter is one of only two players—along with Darius Garland—to average at least 20 points while shooting .500/.400/.900 splits. Against Chicago, Hunter delivers a near-perfect performance, recording 25 points on 10-10 free throw shooting, along with six rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal in 28 minutes. He becomes just the second reserve in the NBA this season to go perfect from the free-throw line with at least 10 attempts (joining Russell Westbrook) and the first Hawks reserve to do so since Zaza Pachulia on January 15, 2007.
Jalen Johnson also enjoys a career night, tallying a personal-best 30 points on 11-16 shooting while adding 15 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in 39 minutes. Johnson becomes one of only 10 players in the NBA this season to post a 30-point, 15-rebound game and one of just six to do so while shooting .650 or better from the field. The fourth-year forward is the first Hawk to achieve this milestone since John Collins on February 22, 2020.
Young Reaches Milestones
Trae Young adds another historic performance to his résumé, recording his 171st career game with at least 20 points and 10 assists, surpassing Tim Hardaway and Kevin Johnson for ninth-most in NBA history. Against Chicago, Young contributes 27 points, 13 assists, two rebounds, and two steals in 39 minutes. He also surpasses 11,000 career points, becoming the second-youngest player (26 years, 98 days) in NBA history to reach 11,000 points and 4,000 assists, trailing only LeBron James (25 years, 350 days). Young achieves the milestone in just 436 games, the second-fastest in league history behind Oscar Robertson (379 games).
With 11,017 career points (sixth-most in the NBA since 2018-19) and 4,218 assists (the most in the NBA since 2018-19), Young continues to solidify his place as one of the league’s premier guards.
As the Hawks prepare to face Miami and embark on their grueling road trip, they aim to build on their recent success and carry their momentum through the new year. Let’s go Hawks!
#TruetoAtlanta
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