NBA: Hawks down Wizards 120-105 as Alexander-Walker finds his range from deep

Atlanta beat Washington 120-105 on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at Capital One Arena, before a crowd of 16,974. The Hawks decided it from beyond the arc, with 19 three-pointers made against 6 for the Wizards, and on the boards, where they grabbed 57 rebounds to 41. Nickeil Alexander-Walker finished with 26 points, Onyeka Okongwu with 16 rebounds.

Tip-off was at 1:00 a.m. Brazzaville time on 5 November. The latest injury report, which is provisional, lists four absentees on each side. For the Hawks: Jalen Johnson, Jock Landale, Henri Veesaar and Mouhamed Gueye. For the Wizards: Tristan Vukcevic, Jamir Watkins, Justin Champagnie and Reece Beekman. Anthony Davis, Kyshawn George and Trae Young carried Washington's attack on a night when the lead changed hands eight times.

Thirteen in a row, and the game turns

Washington made the better start, though. An 8-0 run took the Wizards from 0-3 to 8-3, their biggest lead of the night at 5 points. Midway through the first quarter they still led 19-16. Atlanta finished the period ahead, 37-32.

The turning point came just after. The Hawks strung together 13 unanswered points, from 32-35 to 32-48, a run that straddled the end of the first quarter and the start of the second. Atlanta then led by 16, their biggest margin of the game. Washington answered with an 8-0 run, from 39-53 to 47-53, and the two teams went into the locker rooms at 61-68.

Two fightbacks, both halted

After the break, the Wizards went on an 11-0 run, from 52-68 to 63-68, to cut the deficit to 5 points. Atlanta kept them at bay: 69-77 midway through the third quarter, 85-93 at its end, after a period the Hawks edged 25-24.

Washington came back to within 6 points, 87-93, ten and a half minutes from the end. Atlanta responded with an 8-0 run that made it 87-101, and the game changed character. With 6 minutes to go, the board read 96-108. The Wizards scored only 20 points in the final quarter, against 27 for the Hawks, and finished at 105-120.

Players of the game

For the Hawks, Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit 6 of his 14 three-point attempts for 26 points in 32 minutes. Onyeka Okongwu added 14 points and took 16 rebounds. The bench made its mark: CJ McCollum (15 points, 5 assists, +13), Aaron Wiggins (15 points, +15) and Zuby Ejiofor (11 points in 17 minutes, +18) combined for 41 points. Kingston Flemings scored 14 points in 23 minutes.

For Washington, Anthony Davis posted 26 points on 12-of-19 shooting, with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks in 30 minutes, for a plus-minus of +3. Kyshawn George scored 25 points and dished out 7 assists, but turned the ball over 4 times and finished at -9. The poor showing is clear from Trae Young's line: 18 points and 6 assists, but 4 turnovers, 2 of 6 from three and a plus-minus of -19 in 34 minutes. Bilal Coulibaly, off the bench, scored 6 points and finished at -25 in 23 minutes.

Three takeaways

Beyond the arc, the gap outstripped the scoreline. Atlanta scored 57 points from three, Washington 18. That is a 39-point gap on long-range shooting, for a 15-point win.

Atlanta had more possessions to work with. The Hawks took 57 rebounds to 41 and attempted 101 shots to 88, despite 15 turnovers to Washington's 12. They also dished out 34 assists, to 25 for the Wizards.

Washington produced, but not for long enough. The Wizards shot 42 of 88, or 48%, and scored 32 points in the first quarter. They fell back to 24 and then 20 points in the last two periods.

The SNA view

Washington lost this game on two numbers: 6 three-pointers made from 26 attempts, and 20 points in the final quarter. Davis at 12 of 19 and a team shooting 48% show that the offence found shots. It simply converted too few from distance, against a side that made 19. The 8 combined turnovers from George and Young cost possessions just as the Wizards were closing to within 5 and 6 points. By contrast, Atlanta's performance rested on balance: 26 points from Alexander-Walker, but also 41 from the trio of McCollum, Wiggins and Ejiofor, all three on the positive side of the plus-minus.

What's next

In the Eastern Conference standings as of 5 November, Washington are 6th at 4-3 and Atlanta 7th at 4-4. The two teams meet again in Atlanta on 7 November at 1:00 a.m. Brazzaville time.