Hawks 120, Wizards 105: Alexander-Walker's 26 sink Trae Young's Wizards
Atlanta led from the second quarter in its first meeting with Young since trading him to Washington.
Atlanta beat Washington 120-105 on Wednesday night at Capital One Arena, in a game that carried an extra storyline: it was the Hawks' first meeting with Trae Young since they traded the four-time All-Star to the Wizards in January, according to the Associated Press.
Alexander-Walker leads the way
Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 26 points for Atlanta and hit six 3-pointers, the AP reported. Onyeka Okongwu added 14 points and 16 rebounds, and CJ McCollum and Aaron Wiggins finished with 15 points apiece. The Hawks were without All-Star forward Jalen Johnson, who missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle.
Washington was led by Anthony Davis, who had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Kyshawn George, who scored 25. Young finished with 18 points.
How the game unfolded
Atlanta set the tone early. Per the AP account, Asa Newell tipped in a shot at the first-quarter buzzer, and Zuby Ejiofor added two transition baskets that prompted a timeout from Wizards coach Brian Keefe.
The Hawks then opened the second quarter on a 13-0 run to build their largest lead of the night, 16 points. Dyson Daniels' driving layup made it 48-32 with 9:06 left in the half. Washington trimmed the margin to seven by halftime.
The Wizards twice pulled within four in the third quarter. The second time, a step-back 3 from Young made it 83-79, but Corey Kispert answered on the next possession with a four-point play. Kispert is one of the players Atlanta received in the Young trade. From there, the AP wrote, Washington never got closer than six in the fourth quarter.
What it means
The Hawks arrived on the back of a 104-102 win at Indiana on Monday, a game in which Alexander-Walker tied his career high with nine 3-pointers. On Wednesday they made it two wins in two nights while missing one of their best players, controlling the game from the second quarter on.
The teams meet again on Friday in Atlanta in an NBA Cup game, which will close out the home-and-home set.