NBA: Hawks extend streak to seven with late spree against Mavs

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson scored 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Hawks to a 124-112 victory over the visiting Dallas Mavericks, extending Atlanta’s winning streak to seven games.

The win ended Atlanta’s four-game losing streak against Dallas and pushed the Mavericks to their eighth consecutive loss, marking their longest skid since the 2016-17 season. The Hawks’ seven-game streak is their longest since the 2021-22 season.

With the game tied at 97-all, Johnson completed a three-point play and followed with a 3-pointer to give Atlanta a 105-99 lead, stopping Dallas from erasing an 18-point second-half deficit.

Atlanta also received strong contributions from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who added 29 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Onyeka Okongwu recorded 18 points and nine rebounds, while Dyson Daniels contributed 14 points and 10 assists.

Dallas was paced by Klay Thompson, who came off the bench to hit five 3-pointers and score 21 points. Khris Middleton added 16 points, while Cooper Flagg, Daniel Gafford, and Naji Marshall each scored 14. Flagg also grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out five assists.

The Hawks jumped to an early 10-2 lead and led 40-26 after the first quarter. The Mavericks responded in the second quarter with a 9-1 run to close the gap to 45-39, but Atlanta coach Quin Snyder called a timeout, and the Hawks answered with six straight points to restore their 12-point lead. Atlanta went into halftime ahead 64-53.

In the third quarter, Atlanta’s lead peaked at 18 points with 5:08 remaining, but Dallas rallied with a 20-6 run, cutting the deficit to 93-89 on a Thompson 3-pointer with just over a minute left. The Hawks held a slim 95-91 lead entering the fourth, and Middleton tied it at 97 with 9:02 remaining before Johnson took over.

Atlanta played without Jonathan Kuminga for the third straight game due to a left knee bone bruise.

—Field Level Media/Reuters