Hawks fall to Bulls 128–123 on the road

The Atlanta Hawks came up just short in Chicago on Monday night, falling 128–123 to the Bulls in a high-scoring battle at United Center. Atlanta’s offense found rhythm early and moved the ball well throughout, but Chicago’s timely shooting and late-game execution proved to be the difference.

Despite the loss, the Hawks showed plenty of encouraging signs on the offensive end — recording a season-high 32 assists while committing just six turnovers. Atlanta became the only team in the league this season to notch 32+ assists with six or fewer turnovers, and it was just the fourth time the franchise has done so since at least the 1991–92 season — the first since March 2016.

Trae Young was the engine once again, finishing with 21 points and a league-high 17 assists in 34 minutes. It marked his second straight point-assist double-double and the 194th of his career with at least 20 points and 10 assists — eighth-most in NBA history. Young continues to rank among the game’s elite playmakers, with 45 career games of 15+ assists, the most by any player since he entered the league.

Kristaps Porzingis led the way offensively with 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep, along with two rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes. With his first three of the night, Porzingis extended his streak of at least one made triple to a career-best 34 straight games — the longest active streak by a center in the NBA and the eighth-longest ever by a center in league history.

Jalen Johnson continued his strong start to the season, tallying 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting to go with six rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 32 minutes. Onyeka Okongwu added another double-double, finishing with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting (including 2-of-3 from deep), 10 rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 29 minutes. Together, Johnson, Porzingis, and Okongwu combined for 70 of Atlanta’s 123 points on 65% shooting from the floor — a clear bright spot in an otherwise tough result.

Off the bench, Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, knocking down 4-of-6 from three while also contributing three rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 30 minutes. Alexander-Walker continues to quietly fill up the stat sheet, entering Wednesday’s game in Brooklyn with 895 career assists — putting him on pace to become the only player from his 2019 draft class to surpass 3,000 points, 900 rebounds, 900 assists, 250 steals, and 150 blocks.

The Hawks bounced back with a 117–112 win over Brooklyn on Wednesday, October 29, after a tough 123–128 road loss to the Chicago Bulls earlier in the week. Atlanta now continues its road trip to face Indiana (October 31) and Cleveland (November 2) before returning home.

The matchup against the Pacers will also mark Atlanta’s first Cup Night contest of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup. The Hawks will return home on Monday, November 4, for a rematch against the Orlando Magic — aiming to regroup and defend home court at State Farm Arena.