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Tag: Dyson Daniels

  • Same teams. Different night. Same result: Hawks lose a second straight to Bulls, 126-123

    Hawks guard Vit Krejci shoots over two Bulls defenders during the first quarter of Tuesday’s game. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The Atlanta Hawks hosted the Chicago Bulls for the second time in three days. The result of Tuesday’s game was the same as Sunday’s game: a loss.

    The final two seconds of this game told the tale. The Hawks gave up three free throws to the Bulls and lost, despite Chicago not having to make a basket.

    Final score: Bulls 126, Hawks 123.

    The Hawks were without guard Dyson Daniels, who was listed out of the lineup with a hip injury, and big man Kristaps Porzingis, who has missed the majority of the team’s 30 games this season. Nickel Alexander-Walker was back in the starting lineup for the first time since Trae Young (35 points and nine assists on Sunday) returned from injury. Alexander-Walker (20.3 points per game) gives the Hawks’ starting lineup that much-needed third scoring option after Young and Jalen Johnson (28.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game).

    “You have to learn from this for sure,” said Trae Young (above) after the 126123 loss to the Bulls on Tuesday. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Following the game, Young said he and his teammates will have to learn from games like this. “We’re trying to figure out how to execute down the stretch, whether it’s me or Jalen,” Young said.

    The Hawks got off to a better start in this game, going ahead 7-0 before the Bulls eventually tied the game at 16. Atlanta would take and maintain a lead throughout the first quarter behind Young, who is on a minutes restriction at the moment. His three-pointer and floater, plus a foul, looked like vintage Trae Young baskets.

    The Hawks closed the first quarter with a 36-30 advantage, and led by as much as 13 in the second quarter after rookie forward Asa Newell dunked following a steal, and then hit a corner three on the next Hawks possession. Young found Johnson with a no-look pass to bring the lead up to 15 with less than five minutes to play in the first half. With less than a minute to play in the half, the Bulls closed the gap a bit, getting scoring from Coby White down the stretch, but a pair of free throws from Young gave Atlanta a 68-55 lead at the half. During the first half, Young, Johnson, and Alexander-Walker combined for 38 points.

    Trae Young (above at free throw line). Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The first couple of minutes of the second half saw Chicago forward Nikola Vucevic score eight of the Bulls’ first 14 points to cut the Hawks’ lead to just eight points. The Hawks would put together a run that included a three-point play from Young and a three-pointer from forward Zaccharie Risacher to re-establish a double-figure lead and force a Bulls timeout with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

    With less than two minutes to play in the quarter, Newell, whose minutes have been up and down this season, connected on a pair of three-pointers that got the supporter section chanting his name and out the Hawks 102-87. Newell, an Atlanta native, played his single season of college hoops at the University of Georgia before being drafted by the Hawks in the first round of last year’s draft. Atlanta ended the third quarter ahead by 13 points.

    NBA basketball, more than any other level of the sport, is a game of runs. The Bulls had another run in them, and went on a quick 6-0 run to force Hawks head coach Quin Snyder to call a time out with the score now 105-98 with 9:41 on the game clock.

    Johnson has been the Hawks’ go-to man all season, and with the momentum about to shift toward Chicago like a wind off of Lake Michigan, Johnson drove to the basket, scored, and was fouled in the process. Atlanta maintained a 10-point advantage with 5:41 on the clock and an eight-point lead with 4:02 remaining in the game. The two teams were back-to-back in the standings coming into the game, and this particular affair was equally as close throughout.

    Chicago pulled within a point at 117-116 when White hit a three-pointer with a Hawks defender in his face. Johnson added another jumper to give Atlanta a 119-116 cushion with 1:43 left to play in the game. White’s free throws made it a one-point game again seconds later. Giddey’s jumper in the lane with 40 seconds left put the Bulls ahead 122-119.

    The last 40 seconds of this game tell the tale. With Chicago ahead 122-121, Bulls guard Coby White went to the free throw line and proceeded to make one of two free throws to give his team a two-point lead with six seconds in the game. Alexander-Walker’s layup tied the game at 123 with 1.9 seconds to play.

    The Hawks will play the day after Christmas, hosting the Miami Heat on Friday, December 26. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Atlanta, off on Christmas Day, isn’t done with the home games. The Hawks will host the Miami Heat on Friday, December 26, and the New York Knicks on Saturday, December 27. Those games will be the first time the Hawks face the Heat and Knicks this season.

    The last home game of the year will take place on New Year’s Eve when the Minnesota Timberwolves and Atlanta native Anthony Edwards will be in town for an afternoon tip-off (2 p.m.). The new year will begin with a three-game homestand. The Hawks and Young will be in New York at Madison Square Garden to play the Knicks on January 2, and follow that up with consecutive games in Toronto against the Raptors on January 3 and 5.

    Donnell Suggs

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  • Trae Young was back in the Atlanta Hawks starting lineup for 152-150 loss to Chicago Bulls

    Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Atlanta Hawks all-star guard Trae Young was back in the starting lineup on his home court for the first time in two months. And it still didn’t matter. The Hawks lost for the fourth time in their last five games, 152-150, to the Chicago Bulls.

    Despite the loss, Young was able to remind Hawks fans why he has been considered one of the best shooters in the sport during his career, all of which has taken place in Atlanta. With the Hsweks down 133-129, Young returned to the court and put on a shooting display. The Oklahoma kid made three three-pointers and two free throws in the span of six minutes.

    Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker attempts a shot over former Hawks guard Kevin Huerter (13) during the first quarter. Alexander-Walker is averaging over 20 points this season. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    With Atlanta down 152-150 with just under five seconds remaining in the game, Young took the last shot of the game. He missed, but he was back, and for the Hawks, that is going to matter long past this game.

    The Hawks began a two-game set against the Chicago Bulls, and Young was back in the starting lineup after missing Friday’s loss to San Antonio. The tipoff was at 3:30 p.m., a half-hour before the Atlanta Falcons kicked off against the Cardinals in Arizona. The Bulls are scheduled to return to State Farm Arena on Tuesday, December 23, two days before Christmas.

    The Bulls got off to a hot start, going up 21-10 and forcing a Hawks timeout. Over the past couple of weeks, the Hawks have had issues with falling behind early. Atlanta pulled back within three points at 25-22 midway through the quarter when second-year forward Zaccharie Risacher nailed a corner three-pointer in front of the Bulls bench.

    The first quarter would end with the score tied at 38, and Atlanta would get its first lead of the game at the beginning of the second quarter after reserve guard Vit Krejci made consecutive three-pointers. Two Risacher three-pointers gave Atlanta another lead at 50-48 at the eight-minute mark. The Hawks’ bench, especially Nickeil Alexander-Walker (20.7 points per game), will be vital to any playoff push this team makes this season.

    Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (with ball) started his first home game in months on Sunday afternoon. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Chicago guard Josh Giddey, a dark-horse candidate to be selected to his first All-Star Game, is averaging over 20 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists per game. Giddey had started all 25 games for the Bulls this season, and on Sunday, he was back on the court in Atlanta. The 6-8 guard is a teammate of Hawks guard Dyson Daniels on the Australian National Team.

    Giddey was able to get to the basket during the game, and his layup with 7:13 remaining in the second quarter put Chicago up 54-50. His dunk and three-pointer early in the second half would help keep Chicago in front.

    The teams exchanged leads early in the second quarter before the Bulls went ahead by seven points, 75-68, with a minute to play in the half. That lead would be extended to 10 points, 83-73, at halftime after Huerter hit a three-pointer in front of the Hawks’ bench.

    Young made his first two three-point attempts of the second half. His scoring touch was needed this season as the Hawks lost several close games down the stretch. For the time being, Jalen Johnson, the Hawks’ go-to guy during Young’s absence, and Alexander-Walker were doing their part to keep the game close. Johnson scored on consecutive drives to the rim, while Alexander-Walker hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 102 with 4:50 remaining in the third quarter. Both players were counted on to keep the Hawks competitive while Young was gone, and they more than accomplished that goal.

    Krejci has come a long way during his time in the league with Atlanta. Coming off the bench for the Hawks, he has been a steady contributor this season. Krejci’s three-pointer off an assist from Johnson gave Atlanta a 108-107 lead and forced Bulls head coach Billy Donovan to call a timeout. Chicago would go back in front, 116-115, at the end of the third quarter.

    With Chicago ahead by a score of 119-118, Johnson found Daniels for an easy dunk to give Atlanta a one-point lead. It was his seventh assist of the game. Johnson has six triple-doubles this season, an Atlanta Hawks record.

    Donnell Suggs

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  • Atlanta Hawks get quality win, beat Cleveland Cavs 130-123 behind triple-double from Jalen Johnson

    Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) puts in two points during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The Atlanta Hawks have a winning record, but they didn’t have many quality victories this season. Other than a victory in Orlando in early November, the Hawks hadn’t defeated a team over .500.

    That changed on Friday night as the Hawks defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 130-123. After the game, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said both teams played well, “but we did a lot of things late.”

    Cavaliers All-Star point guard Darius Garland was back on the court for just the sixth time this season. Cleveland is a much better team with Garland, the same way the Hawks are better when Trae Young is in the lineup. Similar to Garland, Young has only played in five games. He could be seen taking jump shots during warmups over an hour before the two teams came out for regular pregame warm-ups. Young isn’t expected back for another week or two.

    Atlanta got out to an early 10-point lead after allowing Cleveland to open the game with a 7-0 advantage. One of the strengths of this Hawks team is its depth, and reserves like Mouhamed Gueye have consistently contributed scoring when needed. Gueye caught an alley-oop from teammate Zaccharie Risacher on one possession and dunked home two points on a baseline drive on another. Gueye had another dunk to give Atlanta a 33-20 lead with 28.8 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

    Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) finished the game with 10 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Tied at 47 with five minutes remaining in the first half, Garland went on a mini-run, throwing alley-oops and getting to the basket whenever he felt it was necessary. He and All-Star teammate Donovan Mitchell (42 points) helped the Cavs grab a 56-55 lead with 2:22 on the clock.

    The first half included former Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter and Gueye getting into a double-foul situation following a dunk by Hunter. The Cavs then went on an 11-0 run to pull within a point at 33-32 at the nine-minute mark.

    There were more than a dozen lead changes during the first half before the Cavaliers finally took a 62-60 lead at the half. The Hawks, led by 15 points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, had four players score 10 or more points during the first half. Mitchell led Cleveland with a game-high 22 first-half points.

    Atlanta regained the lead during the third quarter. The Hawks led by as many as nine points during the quarter, led by the play of Dyson Daniels. The Australian native averages just under 10 points per game for the Hawks, but continues to affect the game in different ways. Daniels scored four points late in the quarter, but also had eight assists and six rebounds by the end of the third.

    “I thought he did a great job of getting in the game and making the right decisions,” Snyder said of Daniels’s play on Friday night. “Tonight his stats reflected that.”

    The win over the Cavs was only the second over a team with a .500 record. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    During the fourth quarter, Mitchell scored eight straight points for Cleveland to cut the Atlanta lead. That run included a three-pointer off a Hawks turnover to make the score 107-103. Hawks guard Vit Krejci was the player who was responsible for the turnover, but it was also Krejci who dunked on a fast break to give Atlanta an 111-103 cushion.

    With the game tied at 113, the teams exchanged leads and dunks from Risacher and Hunter before the Hawks took a five-point advantage on a pair of free throws from Jalen Johnson (triple-double: 29 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists). The game was tied again at 123 with 1:24 remaining in the game when Alexander-Walker was fouled while shooting a three-pointer in front of the Hawks’ bench. Following a coach’s challenge, that call was reversed. Alexander-Walker would get his revenge when he and Risacher connected on back-to-back three-pointers to put Atlanta up 129-123 with less than a minute to play.

    The Atlanta Hawks were under .500 at home (3-4) coming into this game against the Cavaliers. Cleveland wasn’t playing much better on the road with a 4-4 record. Something had to give.

    A view of State Farm Arena (right), home of the Atlanta Hawks, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, on Friday, November 28, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    What’s Next: The Hawks will return to the court on Sunday in Philadelphia and on Monday in Detroit. They return to State Farm Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 3, to begin a two-game homestand against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets on Friday, December 5.

    Donnell Suggs

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  • Atlanta Hawks lose a ‘tough test’ to Detroit Pistons 120-112

    A pair of free throws from Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander Walker (at line) cut the Piston lead to four points with just under two minutes remaining in the game. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    On Tuesday night, the Atlanta Hawks hosted the Detroit Pistons, the Eastern Conference’s best team. They lost, but might have learned some valuable lessons along the way. Final score: 120-112.

    Earlier that afternoon, The Atlanta Voice asked what kind of test playing the Pistons would be this early in the season. Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, said it would be much more than just another regular-season game.

    The Atlanta Hawks and forward Jalen Johnson (above) are on a five-game win streak. Tuesday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons at State Farm Arena is more just a regular season game, says Johnson. ” Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    “I think it’s going to be a good test. They are a great team; they have been hot. We just have to come in with a chip on our shoulder.”

    Johnson averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, and two steals during the four games he played last week. He said the Hawks have been playing well lately, but needed to continue building on the things that have helped them achieve a five-game win streak. That starts again tonight.

    “It’s a new game tonight, we have to protect home court,” Johnson said.

    Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, second in the league in steals (2.3) behind Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (2.4), brother of Hawks reserve point guard Keaton Wallace, was looking forward to a rare early-season big game. 

    Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (above) said games like the one against Detroit on Tuesday night were what good teams want to be a part of. “These are the games you want to play,” he said. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    “These are the games you want to play,” said Daniels. “It’s going to be a tough test, but we’re up for it. The guys are ready to go.” 

    Daniels and Johnson were correct; it was a tough test. Detroit went ahead early and, other than two ties in the second quarter, maintained a lead throughout the first half. Piston star guard and an early All-NBA candidate, Cade Cunningham, was averaging 27.5 points per game coming into the contest. Cunningham was held to four points late in the first half before scoring the Pistons’ final six points of the half. 

    Midway through the third quarter, the Hawks would seize some of the momentum, cutting the Pistons’ lead to five points on a three-pointer from Onyeka Okongwu. Cunningham scored four straight points and found his teammates, mainly forward Jalen Duran, for layups. 

    With a minute remaining in the third quarter, Atlanta gave up four unanswered points to Pistons reserves to go down 94-78. Four consecutive points from Johnson cut the Pistons’ lead to 12 points, 94-82, at the end of the quarter.

    The fourth quarter began with the home team slicing Detroit’s lead to eight points after Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Okongwu scored five unanswered points. A Daniels floater brought the crowd to its feet, and a tip-in by Mouhamed Gueye on the following possession made the score 97-93 with eight minutes to play. Daniels hit another floater in the late to bring Atlanta within a point, 99-98, and force a Pistons timeout. Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young could be seen cheering his teammates on from the bench. Young is expected to be out through November.

    Consecutive Atlanta turnovers gave Detroit time to get its act together and extend its lead to six points with less than five minutes to play. A dunk down the middle of the lane by former OTE star Ausar Thompson was one of the Pistons’ second-half highlights.

    With the score 108-104 and just under two minutes on the clock, Alexander-Walker drove to the basket and drew a foul. He made both free throws to pull Atlanta to within two points for the first time since the game began.

    Atlanta wouldn’t seriously threaten Detroit again.

    The Hawks, now 9-6 overall and 7-2 on the road this season, will play consecutive road games before returning to State Farm Arena to host the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. Atlanta will travel to San Antonio to play the Spurs on Thursday and the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. Ironincally, that will be the same weekend the Atlanta Hawks will play the New Orleans Saints in the Caesars Superdome in what has been deemed a must-win-or-else game for head coach Raheem Morris. 

    Donnell Suggs

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  • Trae Young shines in Atlanta Hawks 121-116 victory over New York Knicks

    Trae Young had 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds as his Atlanta Hawks beat the New York Knicks 121-116 win Wednesday night State Farm Arena. It marked his seventh career 20-point, 10-assist game vs. them (regular season and playoffs).

    Head Coach Quin Snyder, Zaccharie Risacher, and Jalen Johnson joined Trae Young at the podium to discuss the victory.

    Risacher, the first overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, admitted to reporters what gave him the confidence ahead of his big 33-point night Wednesday night.

    “He basically tells me to shoot the f—ing ball,” Risacher said. “That’s not just from him. That’s from everybody on the coaching staff and my teammates. It helps with my confidence.”

    Dyson Daniels dunks the basketball during an NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks inside State Farm Arena on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

    Risacher is shooting 27% from three-point range this season.

    “I knew it was bound to happen eventually and I know it’s going to continue to happen with the way he’s been playing,” Young said of Risacher. “I struggled my first couple of months into my rookie year, and I was in Rookie of the Year debates in the second half. You’re going to go through ups and downs, especially in your rookie year. I know he wants to win, I know he wants to contribute. I just want him to always stay positive and keep his head on the right path.”

    “His progress isn’t going to be linear,” Snyder said. “He’s got to stay at it. We have confidence in him if he makes shots or he doesn’t. Today, he was really good on the defensive glass, as well.”

    The Hawks will face off against Detroit on Friday. They’ll be back at State Farm Arena Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls.

    Itoro N. Umontuen

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