Showdown of Superstars: Brooklyn Nets Take on Atlanta Hawks

A month ago, the Atlanta Hawks seemed destined for another appearance in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. Currently holding the ninth spot in the standings, the Hawks have sparked hope for a top-six finish with a seven-game winning streak.

Benefiting from a schedule that features 10 out of 11 games at home, the Hawks are set to face the struggling Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. Following a 124-112 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, Atlanta achieved its longest winning streak since January 2022.

Atlanta is trailing the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors and the sixth-seeded Miami Heat by 2 1/2 games each.

A victory on Thursday would tie the franchise’s record of 19 consecutive wins, previously achieved during the 2014-15 season (the Hawks also won eight straight in March 2021). Standout first-time All-Star Jalen Johnson, leading the team with 23.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, emphasized focusing on one game at a time over maintaining the streak.

Johnson stated, “We’re not focused on a win streak. That’s not our end goal. Our end goal is to make a playoff push and the best way to focus on that is just taking things a game at a time. … Obviously we’re going to have some closer and tougher games. The more we stay together through it, I think it’ll be good.”

Six of the Hawks’ seven recent wins have been by double digits. Alongside Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is contributing a career-best 20.0 points per game, and CJ McCollum is averaging 18.3 points in 25 games since joining from the Washington Wizards in a trade involving Trae Young.

The team’s playoff hopes have been bolstered by minimal injuries post-All-Star break. The only sidelined player is Jonathan Kuminga, who averaged 21.3 ppg in his first three games after arriving from Golden State. Kuminga’s availability for Thursday is uncertain due to a left knee injury sustained in the last three games.

Conversely, Brooklyn is currently focused on improving for the NBA Draft lottery. With 11 losses in their last 13 games, the Nets are heading towards their worst winning percentage since the 2016-17 season.

In their recent 138-100 defeat against the Detroit Pistons, the Nets trailed by as much as 43 points. With 17 games left, Brooklyn is looking to assess and develop their roster for the future. Head coach Jordi Fernandez has been rotating his players extensively to evaluate their potential.

Fernandez explained, “Everybody played a good amount and that’s going to keep happening. Because we have to make sure we know what we’ve got. … These games are meaningful because you have to play to get better and compete.”

Veteran Michael Porter Jr. leads the Nets in scoring with 24.2 points per game, followed by Noah Clowney at 12.8 and Nic Claxton at 12.1.

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Article written on 12/03/2026 10:34. Source: NBA.com

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