Hawks’ Four-Game Win Streak Ends as Clippers’ Harden and Leonard Lead the Way

The Atlanta Hawks saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Friday night as the LA Clippers, led by James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, secured a hard-fought 98-121 victory. Despite another strong passing performance and dominance on the glass, the Hawks couldn’t overcome the Clippers’ star power.

Hawks Pay Tribute to Former Teammate Bogdan Bogdanović

During the game, the Atlanta Hawks honored former Hawk Bogdan “Bogi” Bogdanović in his first game back in State Farm Arena. Fans gave Bogdanović a warm welcome, recognizing his contributions to the franchise during his tenure in Atlanta.

Hawks Maintain League-Leading Assist Pace

Even in defeat, Atlanta continued to showcase its elite ball movement, dishing out 25 assists—marking their league-leading 57th game with at least 25 dimes. The Hawks are averaging 29.3 assists per game this season, the highest mark in the Eastern Conference and second-best in the NBA behind the Denver Nuggets (31.0).

Atlanta also remained aggressive on the offensive boards, hauling in 13 offensive rebounds, marking their 47th game this season with double-digit offensive boards. The Hawks rank third in the Eastern Conference in that category, averaging 12.0 per game.

Daniels and Okongwu Shine Despite the Loss

Dyson Daniels continued his defensive dominance, recording his NBA-leading 35th game with three or more steals—17 more than the next closest players (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kris Dunn, 18 each). His 35 such games are the most by a Hawk in a single season since Mookie Blaylock’s 37 in 1996-97, and the most by any player in the NBA since Ricky Rubio had 37 in 2013-14.

Daniels also extended his steal streak to 38 consecutive games, tying Mookie Blaylock for the fourth-longest streak in franchise history. It’s also the longest steal streak in the NBA since Victor Oladipo’s 64-game run from 2017-18.

Onyeka Okongwu recorded his 19th double-double of the season with a team-high 18 points (6-10 FG, 6-6 FT) and a game-high 10 rebounds, while also contributing three assists, three blocks, and a steal in 32 minutes. The big man has now posted 10+ rebounds in 50 career games. Over his last four outings, he’s averaging 14.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 51.2% shooting.

Rookies and Bench Production Keep Hawks Competitive

Zaccharie Risacher continued his impressive rookie campaign, finishing with 15 points on 6-10 shooting (.600 FG%), seven rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 37 minutes. The Rising Star notched his 39th game of the season with double-digit points—the most by any Eastern Conference rookie and second-most among all rookies in the NBA this season.

Off the bench, Caris LeVert provided a solid spark, tallying 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, one block, and two steals in 21 minutes. Since joining the Hawks, LeVert has reached double figures in 11 of 14 games, averaging 16.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 50.9% shooting in that stretch.

Harden and Leonard Power Clippers to Victory

The Clippers were led by James Harden, who delivered a game-high 25 points on 8-14 shooting (.571 FG%), including 4-8 from beyond the arc. He also added eight rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and two steals.

Kawhi Leonard matched Harden’s output with 25 points (11-21 FG, 1-4 3PT), helping the Clippers secure the win.

What’s Next?

The Hawks (32-35) will look to bounce back as they hit the road for a two-game stretch:

• Sunday, March 17: at Brooklyn Nets

• Tuesday, March 19: at Charlotte Hornets

Atlanta will then return home to host the Golden State Warriors on Friday, March 22.