Hawks’ Balanced Effort Falls Short as Six-Game Slide Continues in 125–128 Loss to Knicks

The Atlanta Hawks’ skid stretched to six games Saturday night, as they dropped a hard-fought 128–125 decision to the New York Knicks on Dec. 27 at State Farm Arena.

The loss capped a challenging stretch for Atlanta, which opened with a 133–126 setback at Charlotte on Dec. 18, followed by home losses to San Antonio (126–98) on Dec. 19, Chicago (152–150) on Dec. 21, and Chicago again (126–123) on Dec. 23, before falling to Miami (126–111) on Dec. 26.

Despite the result, the Hawks continued to lean into their offensive identity. Atlanta tallied 33 assists on the night, marking its 21st game this season with 30-or-more assists—more than any team in the NBA. The ball movement was evident early, as the Hawks consistently generated quality looks through unselfish play.

Atlanta opened the night trading punches with New York in a fast-paced first quarter. Onyeka Okongwu set the tone from the opening tip, knocking down a pair of early three-pointers as the Hawks briefly seized momentum. Jalen Johnson made his presence felt defensively with an early block on Karl-Anthony Towns, while Trae Young sparked transition offense with a steal and finish.

The opening frame featured multiple lead changes, but New York closed the quarter strong behind Jalen Brunson, who scored 11 points in the period. Brunson’s pull-up three in the final seconds pushed the Knicks ahead 33–27 after one.

New York continued to apply pressure in the second quarter, using size and second-chance opportunities to stretch the lead. Okongwu briefly pulled Atlanta even with a three at the 10:40 mark, but the Knicks answered with a steady run fueled by Towns at the free-throw line and strong interior play. Atlanta struggled to find consistency from deep during the stretch, while turnovers allowed New York to capitalize in transition. Brunson controlled the tempo late in the half, repeatedly getting into the lane, as the Knicks carried a 68–55 advantage into the locker room.

Atlanta regrouped after halftime and made its push behind Jalen Johnson’s all-around performance. Johnson finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists in 37 minutes, recording his 22nd double-double of the season and 62nd of his career. The fifth-year forward has now posted 13 straight double-doubles, the longest such streak by a Hawk since Kevin Willis’ 21-game run in 1992. Johnson also recorded his third consecutive game with at least 20 points and 10 assists, a career-best stretch, and is averaging 25.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 10.5 assists in December.

Onyeka Okongwu delivered a standout night, pouring in a team-high 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, while adding 14 rebounds. The performance marked his second 30-point, 10-rebound game of the season and the fourth of his career. With his first assist of the night, Okongwu also reached 100 assists on the season, ranking among the league’s top centers in that category.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker continued his strong stretch off the bench, scoring 25 points and knocking down five three-pointers. The outing marked his 17th 20-point game of the season, and he extended his career-long streak to 24 consecutive games with at least one made three-pointer. Rookie Asa Newell added 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including two triples, while Dyson Daniels chipped in 13 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and two steals.

For New York, Jalen Brunson led the way with 34 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 36 points and 15 rebounds, going 17-of-18 from the free-throw line.

Atlanta battled to the final horn, trimming the deficit late, but New York’s execution down the stretch proved decisive as the Hawks came up just short.

The Hawks now turn their attention to a road test on Monday, Dec. 29, as they travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder at 8:00 p.m. Atlanta will then return home to close out 2025 on Dec. 31, hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves at State Farm Arena with a 3:00 p.m. tipoff.