Jalen Johnson recorded his second consecutive triple-double with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists as the visiting Atlanta Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 131-116 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday.
Onyeka Okongwu scored 21 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 17 and Luke Kennard had 15 for Atlanta, which led by as many as 20 in the second quarter before Washington rallied in the second half. Vit Krejci scored 14 points, Dyson Daniels had 12 and Asa Newell 11.
CJ McCollum led Washington with 28 points, including seven 3-pointers. Tristan Vukcevic scored a season-high 18, Justin Champagnie added 16, Will Riley and Kyshawn George had 15 apiece and Bub Carrington scored 14.
The Wizards tied the game early in the fourth quarter before Atlanta responded with a 20-5 run to move ahead 117-102 with 6:05 remaining. Krejci made three 3-pointers during the decisive stretch.
The Wizards fell to 3-19 and dropped their third straight game. Short-handed Washington wizards played without Tre Johnson (hip), Corey Kispert (thumb), Alex Sarr (adductor), Bilal Coulibaly (oblique) and Khris Middleton (knee).
Washington claimed a 18-12 lead after making four 3-pointers in the game’s opening minutes. Atlanta led 35-28 at the end of the quarter.
The Hawks led 41-35 with 9:11 left in the second quarter before Alexander-Walker’s 17-foot jumper capped a 20-6 run and extended the Hawks’ lead to 61-41 with 3:44 remaining in the half.
McCollum hit his fourth 3-pointer of the half at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 70-55. Johnson scored 16 points to lead Atlanta, which shot 53.4% for the half and forced 12 turnovers.
Washington cut down its turnovers in the third quarter and pulled within 91-86 when Vukcevic’s trey capped a 9-0 run with 1:50 left in the period.
Atlanta led 97-93 at the end of the third, but Washington tied the game by scoring the first four points of the fourth.
–Field Level Media
