NBA: Sharp-shooting Hawks pull away from Warriors

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a team-high 24 points as the Atlanta Hawks welcomed two new players in a 124-111 road victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night in San Francisco.

Luke Kennard hit six 3-pointers, including five during a game-breaking run bridging the third and fourth quarters, finishing with a season-high 22 points. Jalen Johnson added 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, helping the Hawks secure their third consecutive win and their first with CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in the lineup.

Atlanta acquired McCollum and Kispert from the Washington Wizards last week in exchange for four-time All-Star guard Trae Young. McCollum contributed 12 points and four assists in his debut win, playing 24 minutes off the bench, while Kispert recorded two points and three assists in 14 minutes.

For the Warriors, Stephen Curry led all scorers with 31 points, and Jimmy Butler III added 30, ending Golden State’s modest two-game winning streak.

After trailing by as many as 10 points in the first half, the Hawks tied the game at 72-71 near the midpoint of the third quarter before taking control over the next seven minutes. Atlanta’s decisive run featured a 22-7 surge to close the third period, highlighted by four 3-pointers from Kennard, including three consecutive makes in under three minutes.

The Hawks carried a 94-78 lead into the final period and quickly extended it to 100-78 after Onyeka Okongwu and Kennard each hit a 3-pointer, effectively sealing the win with 10:53 remaining.

Kennard shot a season-best 6-for-9 from beyond the arc, helping Atlanta outscore Golden State 45-30 in 3-point points despite taking three fewer attempts. Curry struggled from deep, going 3-for-11 as the Warriors shot just 23.8% from 3-point range, while the Hawks finished 15-for-39 (38.5%).

Okongwu recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds, also adding eight assists for his own double-double. Dyson Daniels nearly joined the double-double club with 11 points, a game-high nine assists, and seven rebounds.

Butler complemented his 30 points with seven rebounds and six assists, while De’Anthony Melton scored 10 points and Draymond Green led Golden State with nine rebounds, adding five points and four assists.

—Field Level Media/Reuters