The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 113-110 on Monday, October 12, at State Farm Arena, handing OKC their third consecutive preseason loss.
Atlanta improved to 3-1 in exhibition play, while Oklahoma City fell to 0-3. The Hawks prevailed in a closely contested game that featured multiple lead changes in the fourth quarter and was decided by their execution in the closing seconds.
Zuby Ejiofor contributed 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Hawks, and Jock Landale finished with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists. RayJ Dennis had13 points and seven assists, while Jalen Wilson added 12 points, including four three-pointers
Nickeil Alexander-Walker also made an impact with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists. He shot 4-of-7 from three-point range, helping Atlanta finish with 18 made three-pointers on 51 attempts.
Bennett Stirtz led Oklahoma City with 26 points, shooting 9-of-16 from the field and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. Brooks Barnhizer added 20 points and eight rebounds, while Aday Mara recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.
Josh Dix contributed 16 points and seven assists for the Thunder, who shot 43.3% from the field and 41.9% from three-point range. Oklahoma City also held a narrow 51-50 advantage on the boards, but Atlanta’s scoring balance proved decisive.
The Hawks entered the fourth quarter trailing 79-77 after Oklahoma City recovered from a nine-point halftime deficit. The teams traded baskets throughout the final period, with the Thunder briefly moving ahead 100-99 on a Stirtz three-pointer with just over three minutes remaining.
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Dennis responded with a driving layup to put Atlanta back in front, and the teams continued exchanging scores. With the game tied at 102, Wilson knocked down a three-pointer with 2:05 remaining to give the Hawks a three-point cushion.
Barnhizer answered from long range to put Oklahoma City ahead 105-104, but Asa Newell responded with a turnaround jumper and later a driving dunk. Dennis then delivered the biggest shot of the night, connecting on a three-pointer with 11.6 seconds remaining to extend Atlanta’s lead to 111-107.
Kobe Johnson added a driving layup with 1.8 seconds left, putting the Hawks up 113-107. Stirtz hit another three-pointer with half a second remaining, but Oklahoma City ran out of time to complete the comeback.
