Although it happened far past bedtime on the East Coast, the Hawks were able to pull out another win despite being shorthanded. They hung on in the clutch to get a 105-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers after James Harden missed a potential game-winner.
However, dismissing this as Harden just missing a shot doesn’t do the Hawks’ performance justice. They got a massive performance off the bench from Vit Krejci, who scored 28 points on a torrid 8-10 from deep. Atlanta’s starters complemented him with 20 point, 4 assists and 3 blocks courtesy of Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Johnson’s near triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Although Nickeil Alexander-Walker missed his second straight game, Johnson was able to make it back for this game and took some pressure off Dyson Daniels as a ball-handler. Even so, Daniels still had eight assists of his own.
It wasn’t a perfect game for Atlanta. Outside of Krejci and Zaccharie Risacher, no one else made more than one three-pointer and Harden hung 35 points on their defense. However, they did a good job of clamping down on the rest of LA’s offense.
What are some of the lessons that fans can take from this win?
The Hawks Have A Transition Advantage
Nov 10, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers guard Cam Christie (12) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
After two straight games against teams that play at a much slower pace, it’s clear that the Hawks do have enough athleticism and pace to be a legitimate problem for these older rosters. Players like Luka Doncic and Harden rely on the game happening at a slower pace and their rosters don’t have a lot of quick transition players that make up for that. Conversely, Atlanta’s style of play without Trae Young has become a lot quicker and less ball-dominant due to none of their starters having the offensive gravity of Young.
Against the Clippers, the Hawks out-scored them 20-4 on the fast break, which made a massive difference in such a narrow win. Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels are athletic enough to get up and down the court much quicker than their older counterparts on the Clippers and it’s turned into a good advantage for them to press as of late.
Mo Gueye’s Minutes Are Still Confusing
Nov 8, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Krejci turned in the heroic effort tonight, but it’s worth noting that two of Atlanta’s best wins of the year have come from less heralded members of their team stepping up. Against the Lakers, that was Mo Gueye. Gueye had 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in his biggest opportunity of the year. He shouldn’t be expected to do that every night, but his performance should at least raise some eyebrows considering that he’s been playing well in limited minutes.
However, it doesn’t seem like getting Gueye more minutes is a big priority. While he’s listed as the third center in name, head coach Quin Snyder can easily plug him in as the backup power forward and give him more minutes in relief of Jalen Johnson. Johnson has been an injury concern for a long time and it’s worth considering whether the Hawks should reduce his playing time in order to keep him healthy when it matters most. It’s hard to find minutes for everyone, but Keaton Wallace seems like a candidate to have his role reduced. Dyson Daniels and NAW (when healthy) can both run the point guard spot in Young’s absence and he hasn’t done enough as a backup point guard to earn 24 minutes to Gueye’s eight.
Kristaps Porzingis Still Has His Moments
Nov 10, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) gets the rebound against Atlanta Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis (8) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Although the Hawks were a -14 in his minutes, it was still good to see that Porzingis can offer value despite his frequent injuries. He will miss back-to-backs regularly and might get taken out of the lineup at more random times if his POTS syndrome becomes difficult to manage. However, the seven-footer still demands respect from opposing teams and he’s a great presence at the rim. His BLK% of 2.8% is in the 85th percentile among all centers and he had 3 blocks against the Clippers. One of them was a massive play in the fourth quarter with three minutes remaining, He stonewalled Derrick Jones Jr as the Clippers forward drove in for a layup that would have made it a one-point game.
His shot continues to be a problem (1-5 from deep tonight), but he made all of his free throws and also had four assists on zero turnovers. The fact that he is still able to contribute despite his three-ball not being at his usual standard is encouraging and should give fans some hope that he can be the X-factor for this team down the stretch.
Atlanta Hawks vs Los Angeles Clippers: Starting Lineups For Tonight’s Game
Final Score Predictions For Hawks vs Clippers: Which Team Gets A Needed Win?
Hawks vs Clippers: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineup for Tonight’s Matchup
Hawks Forward Jacob Toppin Highlighted On G League Standouts List