Hawks Edge Thunder 113-110 in Preseason Thriller at State Farm Arena

 

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks continued building momentum this preseason, holding off the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-110 Monday night at State Farm Arena.

It was a back-and-forth battle from start to finish, with 15 lead changes and 10 ties before Atlanta finally found a way to close it out. The win improved the Hawks to 3-1 in preseason play, while Oklahoma City fell to 0-3. 

Atlanta carried a slim 29-28 lead after the first quarter and stretched that advantage to 56-49 by halftime. But Oklahoma City answered in the third, outscoring the Hawks 30-23 and sending the game into the fourth tied at 79.

That set the stage for a competitive final period.

The Hawks responded with their best offensive quarter of the night, putting up 34 points in the fourth while the Thunder scored 31. Atlanta did just enough down the stretch to secure the three-point win. 

cid:1329168C-3E70-49B5-B870-EC626B3C9A0A.pdf

One of the biggest takeaways was Atlanta’s balance.

Jock Landale led the Hawks with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, while also contributing three steals and two blocks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 16 points, six rebounds and five assists, connecting on four three-pointers. 

cid:1329168C-3E70-49B5-B870-EC626B3C9A0A.pdf

The second unit also gave Atlanta a major lift.

Zuby Ejiofor finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, while RayJ Dennis added 13 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Jalen Wilson knocked down four threes on his way to 12 points and eight rebounds.

Kobe Johnson also made the most of his minutes, finishing a perfect 4-for-4 from the field for 10 points in just under 10 minutes. 

cid:1329168C-3E70-49B5-B870-EC626B3C9A0A.pdf

Atlanta finished with six players scoring in double figures, an encouraging sign for a team using preseason to evaluate depth and different lineup combinations.

The Hawks also took care of the basketball. Atlanta committed only 12 turnovers, while forcing Oklahoma City into 18. Those Thunder turnovers resulted in 15 points for Atlanta. 

On the glass, the teams were nearly even, with Oklahoma City holding a slight 51-50 rebounding advantage. Both teams also finished with 46 points in the paint, while Atlanta held a small edge in second-chance scoring, 19-17. 

cid:1329168C-3E70-49B5-B870-EC626B3C9A0A.pdf

For Oklahoma City, Bennett Stirtz led all scorers with 26 points while knocking down six three-pointers. Brooks Barnhizer added 20 points and eight rebounds, while Aday Mara finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. 

cid:1329168C-3E70-49B5-B870-EC626B3C9A0A.pdf

Atlanta played without several regular rotation players, including Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum, Onyeka Okongwu and Aaron Wiggins, who were all listed as out for rest. 

cid:1329168C-3E70-49B5-B870-EC626B3C9A0A.pdf

That made Monday night another valuable opportunity for the Hawks’ younger players and reserves to show what they can bring when their number is called.

And once again, they responded.

Preseason wins don’t count once the regular season begins, but nights like this matter when it comes to building chemistry, evaluating depth and finding players who can be trusted in different situations.

For Atlanta, the biggest takeaway may be simple: even without several of its regulars on the floor, the Hawks found a way to finish.

Atlanta enters the matchup with a 3-1 preseason record after its 113-110 win over Oklahoma City

Next Up; The Hawks wrap up preseason play on the road when they face the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, Oct. 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

.