Four Big Takeaways From The Atlanta Hawks' Concerning Loss Against The Miami Heat

The Hawks lose a head scratcher at home.

Dec 26, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) before the game against the Miami Heat at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks were coming into this game with a record of 2-8 in their last 10 games and were looking for a much-needed win against an undermanned Miami Heat team. This would not matter, as the Heat would still take advantage of an uncohesive Hawks team with many questions moving forward.

Final tonight pic.twitter.com/ieqZnJfxsK

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 27, 2025

1. Hawks effort still looks questionable

Snyder called timeouts 49 seconds apart. https://t.co/cJiN2MVKdO

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) December 27, 2025

Throughout the game, the Hawks looked like they didn't want to play again tonight as they consistently made poor decisions. In the first half, the Hawks would allow Miami to go on multiple runs, but none like the run they allowed to end the second quarter, as the Heat would go up by 12 points and hold the Hawks scoreless for the final three minutes until the final seconds. The Hawks also average 14 turnovers a game, which is middle of the pack in the NBA, and tonight they matched that total in the first half, with 12 turnovers, and allowed 14 points off turnovers. For the game, Atlanta allowed 66 points in the paint, 22 points off turnovers, and turned the ball over 21 times.

2. Jalen Johnson

Dec 23, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) dribbles the ball down the court against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Per usual, Johnson finds himself having another elite night with a near triple-double as he finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists, and one steal. Where Johnson struggled was his three-point shooting, but he honestly looked frustrated and rightfully so, as there is only so much that one player can do when his team is lacking effort and making mistakes.

3. This loss is very concerning

#MIAvsATL INJURY UPDATE: Tyler Herro (toe) has been ruled out of tonight's game vs the Hawks.

Bam Adebayo (lower back soreness) is listed as doubtful.

Nikola Jovic (elbow) and Pelle Larsson (ankle) are both listed as probable.

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 26, 2025

What makes this loss especially glaring compared to others is that the Heat were missing their two best players tonight, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, which led to the Hawks being labeled heavy favorites at home heading into this game. This, however, exposed the Hawks' lack of focus and cohesion and has led to some really tough questions about where the team stands moving forward, as they basically lost to a team of role players despite being nearly healthy and not playing well.

4. Trae Young

Oct 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Since Young has been back, he has continued to look more like his All-Star-caliber self, scoring at least 30 points in two of his three games back and helping the Hawks look much better with him. Tonight, Young finished with 30 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and one steal on shooting splits of 50/62/100%. One has to wonder what the organization is feeling right now, seeing how well one of their star players is playing, but some of the team can't stay healthy or play consistently enough to win games as of now.