The Atlanta Hawks delivered a dominant performance on Saturday night, routing the Los Angeles Lakers 122-102 at State Farm Arena to snap a two-game skid and return to .500.
Despite missing multiple starters, Atlanta controlled the game from the opening tip. Mouhamed Gueye set a new career high with 21 points, adding seven rebounds and seven assists, while Dyson Daniels flirted with a triple-double — 10 points, 13 assists, and eight boards.
The Hawks jumped to a 37-20 lead after the first quarter, fueled by 11 early points from Gueye. Their energy on both ends overwhelmed a Lakers team missing LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Adou Thiero, and Gabe Vincent.
By halftime, Atlanta’s advantage had stretched to 68-54, with Zaccharie Risacher scoring 13 of his 19 points in the opening two quarters. The rookie hit 3-of-7 from three-point range, while the Hawks as a team shot 41% from deep.
The hosts pushed their lead to 26 in the third quarter — their largest against the Lakers in more than six decades. Daniels picked up his 10th assist early in the period and extended his streak of consecutive games with a steal to 62, the longest in franchise history.
Luka Doncic, who entered averaging 40 points per game, was held to 22 on 7-of-17 shooting. He added 11 assists but sat for the final 18 minutes as the game slipped out of reach. Deandre Ayton chipped in 11 points on perfect 5-of-5 shooting, while Jake LaRavia scored 13.
Atlanta’s depth proved decisive. Onyeka Okongwu had 12 points, eight rebounds, and three steals. Keaton Wallace scored 14, and Jacob Toppin provided 17 off the bench. The Hawks shot 51.6% from the field and recorded 37 assists on 48 made shots.
The Lakers, who had won four of their previous five, struggled defensively and turned the ball over 19 times. They were outscored 48-37 in bench points and trailed by double digits for the final 31 minutes.
With the win, Atlanta improved to 5-5 and showed resilience despite the absence of All-Star guard Trae Young, who remains sidelined with an MCL sprain. The Lakers dropped to 7-3 but will have a quick turnaround before facing Charlotte on Monday.
Atlanta travels to Los Angeles next, where it will face the Clippers to close a back-to-back set.
