Atlanta, GA
RECAP: Hawks Offense Craters In the 4th Quarter and Atlanta Blows Big Lead in Loss to Chicago
In last night’s loss to the Pistons, the Hawks got off to a terrible start that doomed them in a close game they could have won. Tonight vs Chicago, Atlanta got out to a big lead and played great for three quarters, but fell apart in the fourth quarter, leading to an embarrassing loss to the Bulls.
Atlanta led by as many as 18 in this game and they led by eight going into the fourth quarter. They then proceeded to have as bad of a quarter as you could possibly have in a game and they lost. The Hawks looked like they ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and they proceeded to shoot 6-23 from the field and 0-7 from three. They were outscored 35-15 in the final quarter and in a game they led by 18, they lost by 12. The defense struggling to contain the Bulls after the first quarter was also an issue. The Hawks were outscored 65-43 in the second half.
Trae Young had a double-double in this game, finishing with 14 points and 16 assists, but he struggled getting his shot going. It was not the best game from him, but certainly not the worst.
Jalen Johnson finished with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. Zaccharie Risacher had 17 points, Clint Capela had 20 points (only four in the second half), and Dyson Daniels had 16 points, eight rebounds, and six steals.
One after being thoroughly outplayed by the Pistons bench, the Hawks bench was outscored 48-26 in this game. Ayo Dosunmu had 19 points for the Bulls and both Jalen Smith and Julian Phillips had 10 points.
The Hawks shot 46% from the floor and 31% from three tonight. Chicago was 50% from the field and 33% from three. Eight players from Chicago were in double figures.
Let’s recap tonight’s game.
The Hawks went with their usual starting lineup of Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Clint Capela for tonight’s game.
Chicago got Zach LaVine back for this game and he was in the starting lineup alongside Coby White, Josh Giddey, Patrick Williams, and Nikola Vucevic.
The Hawks got off to a slow start against Detroit last night, but that was not the case vs Chicago. Atlanta lept out to an 8-2 lead and hit three of their first four shots. They took advantage of a poor Bulls defense and got out to an early lead.
The rotation for the Hawks tonight was a little bit different. Larry Nance, who has played mostly at center this year, came in to back up Jalen Johnson at the four. Keaton Wallace, Garrison Matthews, and Onyeka Okongwu were the other subs.
Not only were the Hawks playing strong defense at the start, but they took advantage of their opportunities at the free throw line. With 3:10 left in the first quarter, the Hawks led 30-20 and were 8-8 at the free throw line. They would lead 37-24 going into the second quarter and were shooting 57% from the field. Young had eight assists in the first quarter alone.
This one “only” from half court 😁 https://t.co/wjtoGMSfMw pic.twitter.com/0PumIhGREc
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 10, 2024
Chicago is a pretty good three-point shooting team, but they were only shooting 22% from deep in the opening quarter. LaVine and Vucevic had seven points each.
The offense for the Hawks was slow to get going in the second quarter, but it picked up towards the end. The defense was much worse though.
After a strong opening quarter on the defensive end, Atlanta allowed Chicago to shoot 59% from the field and 56% (5-9) from three. Atlanta gave up 36 points in the quarter, but their offense kept the lead at double digits for them.
Trae strolled right into this one like he was at the park 😂 pic.twitter.com/YqiMyeDp5z
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 10, 2024
The Hawks led by as many as 18 in the quarter, but three straight three pointers from Chicago cut the lead to nine. Atlanta would weather the storm though and led 70-60 going into the half.
At the half, Atlanta was shooting 56% from the floor and 43% from three. They were also 18-21 at the free throw line, an advantage they held by 11 over Chicago at the half. Capela led all scorers with 16 points, Johnson had 13, and Young had eight points and ten assists.
Chicago was shooting 52% from the field and 39% from three at the half. LaVine led the Bulls with 14 points.
The Hawks opened up the third quarter on a 7-0 run that pushed the lead to 17. Daniels picked off Giddey for a steal and a layup in transition, Johnson hit a corner three, and then Young found Risacher cutting to the basket for a layup. It was 77-60 with 10:08 left in the quarter and Billy Donovan wanted a timeout to settle his team down.
While it looked like the Hawks were getting ready to run away with the game in the second half, the Bulls found something that worked and that was getting out in transition. With the Hawks playing on the second leg of back-to-back, the Bulls were trying to get out and run and tire the Hawks out. They got the lead down to as little as seven, but the Hawks found a way to gather themselves and not let the lead get any smaller. Atlanta led 98-90 heading into the final quarter.
LOBS GALORE pic.twitter.com/UHein18xba
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 10, 2024
The Bulls would just not go away though. Trailing by eight to start the final quarter, they opened on a 14-3 run to take the lead 104-101.
Things were not improving for the Hawks though on the offensive end. They opened the quarter 3-16 from the floor and trailed Chicgo 108-107 with 3:56 left in the game.
The offense
The public is getting its first look at the two pandas that will be heading from China to Zoo Atlanta.
NBC’s Janis Mackey Frayer was able to visit female Fu Shuang and male Ping Ping before they make the nearly 8,000-mile flight. The giant pandas are both 6 years old and are headed to the United States as part of a new decade-long conservation agreement between China and the U.S.
Ping Ping’s keepers say he tends to follow them around, which is atypical behavior for a panda, but may be because of the food they have for him. Fu Shuang — which translates to “double happiness” — is playful, but nervous, and enjoys placing her chin on her paw. She also likes apples and has a penchant for finding them.
“Because we will hide pieces of apples, for example under the tree … she can find them everywhere,” panda keeper Wang Shun told Mackey Frayer, noting her “clever” behavior.
The pandas are part of an international cooperative research agreement on giant panda conservation between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, a renewal of panda diplomacy between America and China that began in 1972.
“Zoo Atlanta is delighted and honored to yet again be trusted as stewards of this treasured species and to partner with the China Wildlife Conservation Association on the continued conservation and research efforts that are the most important outcomes of this cooperation,” Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond B. King said in a statement in April.
“We can’t wait to meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and to welcome our Members, guests, city, and community back to the wonder and joy of giant pandas.”
Pandas are already at zoos in Washington, D.C., and San Diego. Zoo Atlanta maintained a panda agreement with China from 1999 until 2024, when Lun Lun and Yang Yang went back to their home country, along with their two youngest cubs.
Animal behaviorist James Ayala marvels at how pandas mature.
“You see cubs and they seem so cuddly and clumsy and cute. And then they grow up into these big, majestic bears,” he told Mackey Frayer.
Fu Shuang and Ping Ping will be transported further south into a mountainous region where they will be prepped to make the trip to the U.S. It is unknown when they will leave.
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Soccer fever took over The Battery Atlanta on Thursday as fans gathered outside Truist Park for a rare chance to see the FIFA World Cup trophy in person.
Children kicked soccer balls across the plaza while crowds counted down to the dramatic reveal of the iconic trophy, widely considered the most coveted prize in international sports.
The appearance marked the first public viewing of the FIFA World Cup trophy in Atlanta.
“It’s the real trophy,” said fan Abdulrahman Dwead. “Nobody is allowed to touch the actual trophy unless you won it or are the president of FIFA. So, me standing beside that cup, that’s an honor to me.”
The trophy stop carried extra significance because Atlanta is one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Local fans said the event gave them a deeper sense of excitement ahead of the tournament.
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world,” said Melissa Richardson. “It’s something that doesn’t happen often and to be here in this moment is very important to me.”
The trophy was displayed outside the ballpark before moving inside Monument Garden during Thursday night’s Braves game, allowing ticket holders another opportunity to see the historic prize.
Organizers said the event gave thousands of fans a rare chance to experience a piece of soccer history in Atlanta.
“I’m so happy that Atlanta will host eight games,” Dwead said. “I’ve been here in Atlanta for almost 14 years and I love Atlanta so much.”
Copyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved.
The Atlanta Dream are undefeated heading into their home opener and still finding ways to improve their roster.
The Dream announced Wednesday the signing of forward Amy Okonkwo to a developmental contract. It’s the latest roster move for an Atlanta team that is 2-0 and gearing up to play Sunday against the defending champion, Las Vegas Aces.
Okonkwo brings an impressive résumé despite her young career.
She most recently attended training camp with the Dallas Wings ahead of the 2026 season and appeared in eight games with Dallas during the 2025 WNBA season, averaging 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting better than 60 percent from the field. She recorded a career-high 20 points against Phoenix on Sept. 11, 2025, and made history as the first undrafted player since 2000 to average 10 or more points while shooting 60 percent or better through her first two WNBA games.
Her international résumé is equally impressive. Okonkwo has earned back-to-back FIBA Women’s AfroBasket MVP honors in 2023 and 2025 while helping Nigeria’s national team capture consecutive gold medals. Collegiately, she played at USC before finishing her career at TCU, where she earned 2018 Big 12 Sixth Player of the Year honors.
Okonkwo joins a 12-player roster that includes Naz Hillmon, Te-Hina Paopao, Jordin Canada, Angel Reese, Aaliyah Nye, Rhyne Howard, Madina Okot, Allisha Gray, Isobel Borlase, Indya Nivar, Sika Kone and Brionna Jones.
The signing caps a busy stretch of roster moves for Atlanta.
Earlier this month, the Dream claimed guard Aaliyah Nye off waivers after she was selected by the expansion Toronto Tempo in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft and subsequently waived on May 7. Nye brings championship pedigree to Atlanta, having been a member of the 2025 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces as a rookie, appearing in all 44 regular season games and finishing fourth among franchise rookies in made three-pointers with 37.
A guard out of the University of Alabama, Nye is one of the sharper shooters in the league. She finished her college career with 389 three-pointers across stops at Alabama and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, shooting 40.9 percent from beyond the arc. In her final season with the Crimson Tide, she earned Second Team All-SEC honors after averaging 15.2 points per game and setting the program’s single-season record with 111 made three-pointers.
To make room for Nye, the Dream waived guard Holly Winterburn, a move that came with an emotional cost. Winterburn, a Northampton, England native who went undrafted in 2025 before signing with Atlanta as a free agent, said she learned she had been cut just before boarding the bus for the team’s first game of the season on May 9.
“I thought my welcome to the W moment would happen on the court, not as I’m getting on the bus for my first ever game,” Winterburn wrote on Instagram. “But that’s the reality of this business and I will always be grateful for the opportunity Atlanta gave me. I’m built for this.”
Winterburn did not stay without a job for long. The Portland Fire signed her to a developmental contract shortly after her release.
After Tuesday’s road win in Dallas, the Dream return home Sunday to face the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at 1:30 p.m. at State Farm Arena.
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