Instant Takeaways From the Atlanta Hawks Dominant Victory Against the Brooklyn Nets

The Hawks closed the deal tonight on the Brooklyn Nets this season, and did so in a very dominant fashion. Let's take a look at what Atlanta did to seal the deal early and get their fourth straight victory.

1. Early scoring run

To start, the Hawks ran away with this game early after going on a quick 10-0 scoring run and forcing the Nets into three turnovers to start. In the game, the Hawks killed the Nets from three-point range by spacing the floor, making 20 three-pointers, and not allowing the Nets to keep up as they pushed the pace. They mainly created scoring opportunities against the Nets by making them pay for their mistakes, forcing 20 turnovers and scoring 35 points off them.

2. Defense gets shaky

Apr 3, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Malachi Smith (18) drives the ball against Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

While Atlanta had it going offensively and defensively, some moments were a little concerning, as they gave up multiple high-scoring runs. In the first half, the Hawks gave up a 14-0 run, and for the game, they allowed Brooklyn to shoot 49% from the field and 43% from three-point range, which is very efficient. While the Hawks' defense has been a key problem at times this season, especially from three-point range, they still managed to win this game by 34 points.

3. Jalen Johnson

JJ & OO got 'em with the misdirection 🍊🧃 pic.twitter.com/RFeQtTn4lq
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 4, 2026

Johnson had another dominant performance as he finished with a nice double-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists on efficient shooting of 50% from the field and 50% from three-point range.

4. CJ McCollum

CJ walks into one at the top of the key 🔑 pic.twitter.com/OoZYj8ORwr
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 4, 2026

This game was one of those big scoring nights for McCollum, and, specifically, he often made the Nets pay from three-point range. Early on, McCollum scored 16 points in the first half with three three-pointers made and five assists. In the second half, McCollum continued to light up the Nets, finishing with 25 points and seven assists on 66% shooting from the field and 57% from three-point range in a game that he took over from the beginning.

5. Dyson Daniels

Dyson Daniels secured his 500th career steal in tonight’s game. At 23 years, 17 days, Daniels is the fifth-youngest player in NBA history to 500 thefts: LeBron James (22-29), Magic Johnson (22-233), Isiah Thomas (22-311), Chris Paul (22-341), Dyson Daniels (23-17).
— Hawks PR (@HawksPR) April 4, 2026

Tonight, Daniels continued his dominant play against the Nets, staying very active on both ends of the court and making things tough for them offensively. Daniels honestly terrorized the Nets with his active hands tonight, finishing with five steals while putting up 11 points, four rebounds, and six assists on an efficient 62% shooting from the field and a high 50% from three-point range. He is also the fifth-youngest player to reach 500 career steals in NBA history as of this game.