Hawks Stay Hot From Deep, But Fall 106-132 to Boston

It was a tough night at State Farm Arena for the Atlanta Hawks, who fell behind early and were unable to recover in a 132–106 home loss to the Boston Celtics, despite staying locked in from long range. Atlanta knocked down 15 three-pointers, extending its streak to 35 consecutive games with 10-or-more triples, the fifth-longest active streak in the NBA.

Even with the effort shown by the Hawks, Boston proved to be the sharper team on the night. Jaylen Brown led the way with a game-high 41 points, adding six rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes. Sam Hauser caught fire from beyond the arc, pouring in 30 points on 10-of-21 shooting from three, while chipping in six rebounds and three assists.

Atlanta was paced by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who delivered another composed all-around performance with 18 points, six assists, two rebounds, one steal and one block in 29 minutes. The Virginia Tech product extended his career-long streak to 35 straight games with at least one made three-pointer, now the seventh-longest such streak in franchise history and tied for the second-longest active streak in the league this season. Alexander-Walker also recorded his 40th double-digit scoring outing, the most in a single season of his career.

Jalen Johnson added 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes. Johnson has now handed out five-or-more assists in 32 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak in the NBA and the longest by a forward since LeBron James achieved the mark over 53 games from Nov. 30, 2023 through April 14, 2024.

Off the bench, Corey Kispert provided a spark, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in 23 minutes, marking his ninth double-digit scoring performance of the season.

Onyeka Okongwu led Atlanta with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while adding seven rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes. The USC product recorded his 15th 20-point game of the season, continuing a strong stretch of play.

Rookie Asa Newell made the most of limited minutes, scoring in double figures in just eight minutes off the bench, while pulling down two rebounds. It marked his eighth game of the season with 10-or-more points, as the Georgia product continues to lead all rookies, shooting 44.6 percent from three-point range.

Despite the strong shooting night and multiple individual milestones, the Hawks were unable to overcome Boston’s offensive surge. Atlanta now turns its attention forward, as the team prepares to host its annual MLK Game powered by Georgia Power on Monday, January 19, when the Milwaukee Bucks visit the award-winning State Farm Arena.