The Atlanta Hawks secured a 124-112 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, extending their winning streak to seven games, the longest active in the NBA. Standout performances from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson fueled the win, while the Mavericks continued their slide with an eighth straight loss. This result positions the Hawks one game behind the Philadelphia 76ers for seventh in the Eastern Conference.
The Atlanta Hawks maintained control in the second half of their matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, applying defensive pressure to secure a 124-112 win on Tuesday. This victory marked the Hawks' seventh consecutive triumph, their longest streak since the 2021-22 season and the NBA's longest active winning streak.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 29 points, while Jalen Johnson contributed 27 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Onyeka Okongwu added 18 points and 10 rebounds, Dyson Daniels recorded 14 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists, and CJ McCollum scored 13 points with nine rebounds.
A pivotal moment came in the fourth quarter when the Mavericks mounted a comeback. Klay Thompson hit a contested three-pointer with 9:34 remaining, and Khris Middleton tied the game at 97 with a midrange jumper 32 seconds later. The Hawks responded swiftly: Johnson scored a layup off a pass from Daniels, then assisted Okongwu for a dunk, before hitting a three-pointer to extend the lead to 105-99. These plays helped stifle Dallas's momentum.
In a highlight, Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, recently moved to the bench, drove past Mavericks wing Cooper Flagg for a finger roll layup early in the first quarter.
Johnson commented on the defensive adjustments: “I think we did a better job once Klay got going. Started running their shooters off the line and making it more difficult, trying to turn them into drivers. We did a good job eventually cutting his water off or trying our best to.” Alexander-Walker added: “It was just about making multiple efforts. It’s the NBA. You can’t take away everything. Guys are too good, no matter who they put out there.” Daniels noted: “Klay was getting hot, so we had to take him out of the game, make other people try to beat us once we started getting stops, getting the game back in our terms, where we get out and run. I thought we executed really well down the stretch.”
The Mavericks, who have lost eight straight and 18 of their last 20 games, are in a rebuilding phase under coach Jason Kidd, focusing on developing first-round pick Cooper Flagg.
In the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Hawks trail the 76ers by one game for seventh place and lead the Hornets by two. The Miami Heat moved into sixth after defeating the Washington Wizards, highlighted by Bam Adebayo's 83-point performance. The Hawks next host the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.
