The Hawks welcomed Trae Young and the Wizards into their building for their first of five group stage NBA Cup games of the season. They’d have to find a way to win missing Jalen Johnson, Asa Newell, and Jock Landale among others — although Anthony Davis was not available for the other side.
The good guys came out blazing, using their solid team defense to force turnovers and create easy opportunities going the other way. Nickeil Alexander-Walker remained scorching from deep:
Atlanta raced out to an early 20-10 lead with help from their rookie phenom Kingston Flemings:
Atlanta let the Wizards storm back once the bench came in, however.