Following a mid-week split against the L.A. Clippers and Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks visited the Washington Wizards on Friday evening. In the first match-up between the division foes this season, the Hawks emerged with a comfortable victory by a final score of 116-100 in the nation’s capital.
Atlanta opened the night with a 7-2 lead, as the Wizards missed their first six shot attempts. However, neither team really had it going from a shooting standpoint, as Atlanta shot just 4-of-18 from the floor and 1-of-7 from three-point range at the outset. The Hawks led for the lion’s share of the opening period, based largely on defense and free throw creation, and the visitors used a 15-5 run to close the first quarter with a 31-22 lead.