Atlanta Hawks (42-33) beat Sacramento Kings (19-56) 123-113 at home on Saturday, March 28.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Kings struck first, taking the opening quarter 30-27 and a 3-point lead after one. The Hawks moved in front with a 39-24 second quarter, carrying a 12-point lead into halftime.
The Kings won the third 28-22 to stay in front, taking a 6-point lead into the fourth. The Hawks took the fourth 35-31; the Hawks finished the job for a 123-113 regulation win.
What decided it
The Hawks made 19.1 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 11.8 for the Kings. The Hawks got more from their shots, finishing at 59.6% effective field-goal shooting compared with 54.8% for the Kings. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
The Kings did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 37.2% against 33.3%. The Hawks made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 98 possessions per team, the Hawks produced 125.3 points per 100 possessions to 115.1 for the Kings.
The Kings' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 34-19.
Who made the difference
Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the game's biggest individual force for ATL: 27 pts, 5 reb, 8 ast, 4 stl on 7-14 shooting. His Game Score of 29.1 led everyone. His team was +25 with him on the floor.
Jalen Johnson (26 pts, 5 reb, 10 ast), Jock Landale (19 pts, 13 reb, 4 ast), and Maxime Raynaud (18 pts, 10 reb, 0 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Hawks about a 88% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Atlanta Hawks lead 2-1.
The Hawks are now 42-33, and the Kings are 19-56. The Hawks last five before this game: L-W-W-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.