Hawks Spoil Trae Young's Atlanta Return as Alexander-Walker Leads 139-132 Win Over Wizards

The ovation came first. Then the boos, then the basketball, and by the end of the night the only thing left standing in State Farm Arena was the scoreboard: Atlanta 139, Washington 132. Trae Young walked back into the building where he spent seven-plus seasons as the face of the Hawks, only this time in a Wizards uniform, and for a while it looked like the night might belong to him. He finished with 23 points and 10 assists, a double-double against the franchise he used to carry. But the eight turnovers told the other half of the story, and the Hawks made sure his homecoming ended in a loss. Nickeil Alexander-Walker did most of the damage. He scored 28 points, attacking in waves whenever Washington threatened to close the gap, and Luguentz Dort added 25, twenty of them after halftime, when the game tightened and Atlanta needed someone to steady it. Onyeka Okongwu gave the Hawks 22 points and 10 rebounds inside, and Dyson Daniels came within a rebound of a triple-double with 13 points, 12 assists and nine boards. Aaron Wiggins chipped in 19 off the bench. It was Atlanta's third straight win, and its second in a row over these same Wizards, completing a sweep of the home-and-home. The 139 points were a season high for the Hawks, and the win opened their account in NBA Cup East Group C play. Washington did not go quietly. Kyshawn George poured in a game-high 33 points, the brightest night of his young season, and rookie Tre Johnson hit five three-pointers on his way to 23. The Wizards put up 38 points in the fourth quarter and kept charging until the final minute, but every run met an answer, usually from Alexander-Walker or Dort. Both teams were patched together. Washington played without Anthony Davis, sidelined with a sprained right ankle after playing through soreness on Wednesday. Atlanta was missing All-Star forward Jalen Johnson for a third straight game with a sprained left ankle, and Asa Newell stayed out after leaving Wednesday's game early with a sore left big toe. For Young, the night carried a weight no box score can hold. He was traded last season after more than seven years in Atlanta, years that included a run to the Eastern Conference finals and a bond with a fan base that once chanted his name through playoff nights. He got his moments on Friday, the step-backs and the pocket passes that made him a star here. He also got the version of Atlanta that has learned to play without him: deeper, faster, and unwilling to let sentiment decide a game. The Hawks host Brooklyn on Saturday. The Wizards travel to Oklahoma City the same night, with Young and his new team still looking for the footing that eluded them in Atlanta.