Jalen Johnson scored 23 points as the Atlanta Hawks held off the Brooklyn Nets 117-112 on Wednesday night at Barclays Center. The Hawks lost star guard Trae Young to a right knee sprain in the first quarter, but managed to rally without him.
Young was hurt after colliding with teammate Mouhamed Gueye, finishing with six points in seven minutes before being sidelined.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 18 points, Luke Kennard scored 17, and Onyeka Okongwu contributed 12 points along with a season-high 14 rebounds for Atlanta.
The Nets jumped out to a 12-0 lead, but Atlanta pulled ahead 20-19 late in the first quarter and never trailed again. Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with a season-high 32 points, while Cam Thomas added 19 and Nic Claxton had 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Kennard, who leads active players in career 3-point percentage, went 4 of 5 from deep. Johnson and Alexander-Walker helped Atlanta maintain control despite Brooklyn cutting the lead to 115-112 with 1:28 remaining. The Nets missed their final five shots, allowing the Hawks to hold on.
Onyeka Okongwu dominated the boards with 14 rebounds, complementing his 12-point output, while Atlanta outrebounded Brooklyn 44-47 collectively. The Hawks shot 47.3% overall and made 39.4% of their 3-pointers.
Brooklyn struggled from deep, hitting just 11 of 37 three-point attempts, and fell to 0-5 for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Porter’s scoring kept the game close, but the Nets could not overcome Atlanta’s late-game composure.
Atlanta improves to 2-3 on the season and will visit the Indiana Pacers on Friday, while Brooklyn remains winless and will host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
