Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Can’t Overcome Shooting Woes in 120-97 Blowout Loss to Golden State
When the Atlanta Hawks have lost basketball games this year, you can usualy point to a single quarter as the reason why. They were outscored 38-17 in the third quarter in the loss to the Blazers on Sunday, they scored only 15 points in the 4th quarter in a loss to Chicago and tonight vs the No. 1 team in the Western Conference, Atlanta was outscored 41-22 in the first quarter. Golden State only outscored Atlanta 79-75 the rest of the way, but the damage was done already. Atlanta’s offense was non-existent the whole night and Golden State cruised to a 120-97 victory over the Hawks.
For most of the game, the Hawks defense was surprisingly not the problem. Golden State was red hot from three in the first quarter, but ended the game shooting 47% from the field and 35% from three. There have been plenty of games where the Hawks let their opponents have a big night shooting, but this was not one of those nights.
Atlanta’s offense could not find its rhythm all night long. The Hawks shot 33% from the field and 26% from three and it is hard to point to any good performances from anyone tonight.
Trae Young still is having trouble shooting the ball, going 4-12 from the field and 1-6 from three. He and Jalen Johnson both had double-doubles and were not the biggest problems. One of Atlanta’s biggest concerns this year was shooting and spacing and they were going to need both Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter to help with that. Bogdanovic had a really tough night, shooting 2-14 from the field and 1-7 from three. Hunter, who has been really good this season, shot 3-12 and 0-6 from three. Atlanta had been 4-0 with Hunter available and he had scored 22 points in three of his four games this year, but tonight was tough. Atlanta could not find offense from anywhere, whether it was the starters or the bench and it cost them tonight vs one of the NBA’s elite teams. The Hawks had 21 offensive rebounds tonight compared to Golden State’s seven and they still could not make it count.
Golden State was elite on defense tonight and did just enough on offense after an explosive first quarter. They shot 47% from the floor and 35% from three in the game and Andrew Wiggins led the way with 27 points. Steph Curry had 23 points on 4-6 shooting from three.
Up next for the Hawks is a big game in Chicago in the NBA Cup. The Hawks are the last undefeated team in East Group C and they would reach 3-0 with a win. This loss drops them to 7-9 and the game vs the Bulls is the final one in their current road trip.
Let’s recap tonight’s game.
The Hawks continued with their same starting lineup. Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Clint Capela.
Golden State’s starters were Steph Curry, Lindy Waters III, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The first five minutes of the game were perfectly fine for the Hawks. They trailed 16-15, but they were 3-6 from three and keeping up with the Warriors.
The rest of the first half was ugly.
Golden State would proceed to go on a 13-2 run to take a 29-17 lead and that was just forshadowing what was to come for the Hawks. They could not buy a basket and Golden State was hitting open threes. The Warriors are arguably the deepest team in the NBA and their bench was far superior to Atlanta’s in the first half. Golden State stretched their lead to 41-22 after the first quarter and the Hawks were already in deep trouble after just one quarter of play.
The defense was bad in the first quarter, but the offense was the main issue. The Hawks shot 35% from the field and 29% from three. Golden State on the other hand was 60% from the field and 46% from three. The bench for the Warriors outscored the Hawks bench 19-3. It was a really rough first quarter for Bogdan Bogdanovic, Onyeka Okongwu, De’Andre Hunter, and Kobe Bufkin.
The Hawks defense in the second quarter was much better and there were times where it looked like Atlanta might close the lead up. They cut it to 16 with 5:59 left in the half, but Golden State proceeded to close the half on a 12-3 run. The defense held Golden State to 2-13 shooting from three in the second quarter, but the offense was dreadful. Atlanta shot 28% from the field and 22% from three in the second quarter and despite having some stretches to tighten the lead, Golden State led 67-42 at the half.
Atlanta shot 30% from the field in the first half and 26% from three. The lone bright spot was Jalen Johnson, who had 10 points and six rebounds.
Golden State shot 48% from the field, but just 31% from three. The Warriors bench outscored the Hawks 28-10 in the first half. Bogdan Bogdanovic particlualry had a poor shooting half, starting 1-7 from the field.
The shooting woes for Trae Young also continued. Young has struggled shooting the ball so far this year and he was 1-6 in the first half, scoring only three points.
The third quarter was the best one of the night for the Hawks. They outscored the Warriors 33-23 and looked like they might make a game out of it. With 2:38 to go in the quarter, the Hawks had cut the lead to 12 and had the momentum. The problem was that any time the Hawks appeared to have momentum, the Warriors halted it. Golden State led 90-75 going to the fourth. Atlanta held Golden State to 29% from three in the third quarter and Young led the offense (which was still struggling) with seven points and five assists.
Atlanta never made a serious run in the fourth quarter. The defense kept them in it for a period of time, but the offense was dreadful still. Atlanta lost the game by 23 points and now heads to Chicago 7-9.
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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