Hawks kick off NBA Cup with blowout win over Pacers

No Trae Young, no problem for the Atlanta Hawks, as they kicked off NBA Cup action on Friday night with a blowout 128-108 win over the Pacers.

Indiana gave Atlanta a bit of a scare early, opening up a 12-point lead in the first six minutes, but the Hawks closed the period on a 24-9 run and never looked back.

Jalen Johnson — who has been the team’s best player to start the season, whether Trae Young plays or not — led the way with a near triple-double, finishing with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists. He was one of seven Hawks players to reach double figures, highlighted by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, one of the team’s key offseason additions. Alexander-Walker is on an incredible run, scoring at least 17 points in five straight games. His 21 points Friday night were another encouraging sign for a Hawks team that could be without its star point guard for an extended stretch after Young exited Wednesday’s game with a knee injury.

Dyson Daniels also turned in his best performance of the season after struggling through the first five games, tallying a season-high 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Zaccharie Risacher, Kristaps Porzingis, Onyeka Okongwu, and Keaton Wallace all joined them in double figures.

Through six games, the Hawks have experienced some expected growing pains after integrating so many new faces in the offseason, and those could become more evident if Young misses significant time. Still, there’s plenty to like, especially regarding the team’s depth and versatility. Atlanta now has 10–11 players it can rely on nightly, which will be critical over the grind of an 82-game season.

Up next in NBA Cup group play, the Hawks host the Toronto Raptors next Friday before closing the stage against the Wizards and Cavaliers later this month, aiming to advance to the knockout round for the second straight year.

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