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Instant Takeaways From The Hawks Blowout Loss Against The Thunder

Atlanta losses a tough one against the defending champs.
Kahlil McCuller|
Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) drives to the basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) drives to the basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Atlanta Hawks

Tonight, the Hawks took on the NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder from last season and were down three starters. The Hawks were down two starters yesterday but still managed to come out on top, looking to return the favor tonight against the Thunder. Unfortunately, they came up short.

1. Despite injuries there are still glimpses of potential

After the first game of the season, the Hawks have been hit with the injury bug, but that hasn't made them look like there is no hope, as there have been glimpses of the team's potential despite some rough outings. Tonight, however, Atlanta was down three starters—Jalen Johnson, Kristaps Porzingis, and Zaccharie Risacher — for ankle sprains and flu-like symptoms, which gave some bench players more minutes. In the time the bench players got to play alongside the starters, they looked somewhat cohesive in stretches, showing what could come if they stay healthy and get more reps together. The Hawks did a good job of spacing the floor and making sure the ball didn't stick as they had 16 assists in the first half and 25 assists for the game.

2. Defense and lack of rebounding is still an issue

Since the season started, the Hawks have continued to struggle defensively, allowing a lot of three-pointers and second-chance scoring opportunities. Many of these scoring opportunities stem from the Hawks not closing out on shooters or from turnovers that give opponents easy scoring chances. Tonight the Thunder shot 46% from the field, 38% from three-point range, and 90% from the free throw line, scored 30 second-chance points, and 29 points off turnovers. Chet Holmgren also gave the Hawks problems as he scored 14 of his 31 points in the first half and made four of six three-pointers in the first half.

3. Onyeka Okongwu

Okongwu has been one of the bright spots for this young Hawks team over the last few seasons, and tonight he showed why, with one of two poster dunks for Atlanta that made even the crowd usher have to look back in disbelief. Okongwu finished with his first double-double of the season, as he scored 11 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out four assists, one steal, and one block as he stepped into the starting center role for the injured Porzingis in back-to-back games.

4. Nickeil Alexander-Walker

One of the few bright spots for the Hawks to start the season has been free agent signing Alexander-Walker, who has been the Hawks' most consistent scoring option and defender, which was one of the reasons Atlanta signed him. Tonight, Alexander-Walker finished with 17 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block on 60% shooting from the field, 100% from the free throw line, and 50% from three-point range. He's been relied on to be in the starting lineup the last two games due to Risacher's ankle sprain, but that hasn't stopped him from looking like a reliable option, especially when the Hawks get back healthy.

5. Trae Young

While this game wasn't really much to write home about in terms of big numbers, Young still played efficiently tonight and finished with his first double-double of the season as he had 15 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists. Young played only 30 minutes tonight, but one area he could improve is taking care of the basketball better; he finished with five turnovers, many of them coming from poor passes or a lackadaisical approach.

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Kahlil McCuller
KAHLIL MCCULLER

Kahlil McCuller started covering Virginia Tech Athletics for Virginia Tech On SI in July 2024 and the Atlanta Hawks For Atlanta Hawks On SI since April 2025. Kahlil is also the co-host of the Burg Bros Sports Podcast and has extensive experience in the sports industry with a high knowledge of both professional and collegiate sports. His work concentrates on comprehensive and insightful analysis, making him a highly reliable source in the sports media industry.

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