The Atlanta Hawks cruised past the Brooklyn Nets 141-107 Friday night at Barclays Center, extending their win streak to four and improving to 45-33, fifth in the Eastern Conference.
CJ McCollum led the charge with 25 points and seven assists, shooting 8 of 12 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range. Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 21 points, while Jalen Johnson added 18 points and 11 rebounds. Onyeka Okongwu scored 15 points, rounding out a balanced Atlanta attack.
Atlanta opened strong, scoring the first 10 points and building a 35-17 lead with under two minutes left in the first quarter. The Hawks maintained momentum at halftime, leading 71-55, with McCollum scoring 16 points in the first half, including three perfect 3-pointers.
Brooklyn struggled despite Nic Claxton’s 16 points and Malachi Smith’s 15. Nolan Traore added 13, while Terance Mann contributed eight points. The Nets shot 49% overall, including 43% from three, but turnovers and defensive lapses widened the gap.
The Hawks shot 57% from the field and 51% from three, with 19 made free throws on 24 attempts. Atlanta out-rebounded Brooklyn 41-33 and registered 36 assists, displaying cohesion and depth across the lineup.
The win keeps Atlanta 1 1/2 games ahead of sixth-place Philadelphia and seventh-place Toronto, moving within 3 1/2 games of fourth-place Cleveland. Both teams will face each other next week in a pivotal home-and-set series.
Atlanta returns home to host the New York Knicks on Monday, while Brooklyn faces the Washington Wizards on Sunday, still locked in a rebuilding season at 18-59.
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