CLIPPERS ROLL 115–92, ALEXANDER-WALKER SHINES AGAIN

The Atlanta Hawks were outmatched Wednesday night at State Farm Arena, falling 115–92 to the Los Angeles Clippers in a game where L.A. controlled the pace early and never looked back. The Clippers built a 14-point halftime lead and widened the gap in the third quarter behind strong rebounding, interior dominance and efficient shooting. James Harden set the tone with 27 points and nine assists, while Ivica Zubac punished the Hawks inside with 14 points, 17 rebounds and five assists. Former Hawk John Collins added 15 points and nine boards against his old team, and Kawhi Leonard finished with 21 as the Clippers dictated the flow on both ends.

Atlanta struggled offensively, shooting just 40 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep. Los Angeles won the rebounding battle 54–38 and turned that advantage into a 25–12 edge in second-chance points, along with a 52–40 advantage in the paint. By the time the Hawks tried to climb back, the Clippers’ control of the glass and tempo kept the margin secure.

Despite the loss, Nickeil Alexander-Walker continued his breakout season with another standout performance. He finished with 21 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in 31 minutes, extending his streak to four straight games with 20 or more points—a career first. His season scoring average now sits at 20.4 points per game, an impressive +11 jump from last year, putting him on track to join the short list of players who have boosted their scoring by 10+ points in their seventh season or later.

Rookie Asa Newell delivered another promising outing with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting and two made threes. He has now reached double figures three times this season and continues to shoot efficiently from long range at 44.4 percent.

Caleb Houstan made franchise history by appearing in both an NBA G League and NBA game in the same day. After scoring 16 points earlier with the College Park Skyhawks, he logged five minutes with the Hawks—the first player in team history to accomplish the feat.

Dyson Daniels added 15 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, maintaining his lead over the entire NBA with 18 games of two or more steals this season. Luke Kennard also contributed off the bench with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including three made threes, along with five rebounds and two assists.

The Hawks return to action on December 5 when they host the Denver Nuggets as they look to bounce back and regain momentum.