ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks just came off a game against the Washington Wizards the night before, where their defense wasn’t the best, but they still walked away with the win. In the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets, that trend may have continued, and it led them into a 17-point deficit early.

It didn’t last for long, as they were able to tighten up in the second half and get their first lead of the game late in the fourth quarter, ultimately defeating the Nets 124-121.

It was Jalen Johnson, who returned from a three-game absence due to injury, and Aaron Wiggins who willed the Hawks to victory in the fourth. Though Johnson went 0-for-5 from the 3-point line, he continued to put pressure on the rim and get to his mid-range shot, finishing the game with a game-high 30 points.

“I was just trusting my shots,” Johnson said after the game. “Obviously the 3s didn’t go in, but my teammates made it easy for me, and I was just trying to find easy ways to operate more. Just trusting the spots I know I can get to at any point.”

Head coach Quin Snyder has praised Johnson since last year for his willingness to take catch-and-shoot 3s. They didn’t go in tonight, but Snyder still wants him to stay aggressive, while also finding other ways to affect the game.

“The way he started, he was really running. He was active without the ball,” Snyder said. “When you can learn to play without the ball, it takes your game to another level. At certain times, he was able to have the ball, and we wanted him to have the ball and make good reads, which I thought was important. 

“I want him to shoot. I think that’s really important for him to catch and shoot and make those reads before he gets the ball. That’s what he did. I don’t think JJ went away from anything. I thought he did additional things, and then obviously at the end of the game he was really good.”

Wiggins continues to come off the bench and provide instant offense for the Hawks, and that’s what he did at the start of the fourth to cut down the Hawks’ deficit. He finished with 12 points in the quarter, and 20 overall for the night.

“Just being aggressive,” Wiggins said. “Coming in and trying to provide any bit of energy or spark that I can for the team off the bench. You don’t want to have a drop-off in production, so I’m trying to go in there and make sure I’m contributing in a positive way and also being aggressive to help the team.”

After allowing 70 points in the first half, the Hawks held the Nets to 51 in the second half. They were their most dominant down the stretch of the fourth, where several players were able to make big plays. Dyson Daniels got a steal, Onyeka Okongwu and Kingston Flemings had blocks, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker turned a loose ball into two points on the other end of the floor to extend the Hawks’ lead.

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— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 8, 2026

“Our identity offensively is where we can run and move the ball, but defending, that’s the foundation,” Snyder said. “When we do that, it gives us an opportunity to do those other things across the board. Last night wasn’t our best defensive effort. We talked about that a little before the game, and I don’t think we started at the level we wanted to. Some of that was Brooklyn making shots, but as the game progressed, I thought we got better and better defensively.”

After winning a game against the Wizards where they had the lead for most of the game, the Hawks had to fight back until the final minutes in this one to get their first lead and win.

“You want to win games by as much as you can, but it’s good for us. Those experiences are good for us because it’s a long season. The NBA is full of good teams, and you’re not going to be able to avoid close games all the time. You can learn a lot from your team in those situations,” Wiggins said.

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