Instant Takeaways From The Atlanta Hawks' Embarrassing Loss Against The Wizards

The Hawks lose a tough one in NBA Cup play.

Nov 25, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Luke Kennard (3) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Tonight, the Hawks resumed NBA Cup Tournament play, taking on the Washington Wizards after a couple of wins on the weekend that kept them undefeated. However, the Hawks came into this one with less fight than in the previous two games, and it finally caught up to them as they weren't able to bounce back in crucial NBA Cup play for a chance to make it to Vegas for the tournament.

pic.twitter.com/8i68SSYULT

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 26, 2025

1. Lack of effort to start

Washington averages 13 threes a game.

They hit 13 in the first half against Atlanta.

— Zach Langley (@langleyatl) November 26, 2025

To start the game, it was apparent the Hawks weren't fully engaged as they fell behind 18-2. They tried to make a couple of runs, but you could see they weren't lasting. The Hawks would eventually fall behind by as much as 33 points, as they failed to guard the three-point line, allowed 13 threes in the first half, and struggled to defend multiple players. To end the first half, Alex Sarr finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, CJ McCollum had 27 points, and Corey Kispert had 17 points. Dyson Daniels' streak of 70 games with at least one steal also came to an end tonight as he finished with no steals or blocks.

2. CJ McCollum

CJ McCollum at halftime:

27 points
10/13 FG
7/8 3P

Wizards are up 77-55 over the Hawks 🤯 (via @realapp) pic.twitter.com/LaLwlyd8P8

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 26, 2025

One of the more abysmal parts of this game was none other than the Hawks' defensive performance against McCollum. In the first half, the Hawks couldn't keep him off the three-point line or the mid-range, and this continued into the second half, as he scored 19 more points to finish with 46 points, five rebounds, and four assists, hitting 10 three-pointers, which makes him the second player in cup history to do this.

3. Jalen Johnson rough night

Jalen Johnson's been fantastic lately, but so far tonight, it's been pretty clearly his worst game of the season.

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) November 26, 2025

For the Hawks, without All-Star Trae Young in the lineup, it is pretty much up to Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Johnson to carry the offensive load for the team, and tonight, it was obvious from the beginning that wasn't going to be the case as two of the three struggled. Johnson finished with seven points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and five turnovers on 25% shooting from the floor. Alexander-Walker finished with eight points, two rebounds, four assists, and three turnovers on 33% shooting from the field.

4. Turnovers and points in the paint

the thing about playing the wizards is that a 29-point deficit is not insurmountable by any means

particularly when you have 3+ quarters to try and overcome it

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) November 26, 2025

The key to the Hawks' loss wasn't that they weren't talented enough to beat the Wizards; it was that they took this game for granted and didn't come to play from the jump. The Hawks finished the game with 19 turnovers, 28 points given up off turnovers, 28 points given up on fastbreaks, and 48 points in the paint. The Wizards also shot the ball unconsciously from three-point range, making 19 threes on 50% from long range and 57% from the field.