Hawks Rout Hornets 128-81 for Largest Win in Franchise History

The Atlanta Hawks beat the Charlotte Hornets 128-81 on Friday night at Spectrum Center for the largest margin of victory in franchise history.

The 47-point win broke the record of 46, set in a 126-80 home victory over the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 15, 2017, according to The Associated Press and Field Level Media.

Atlanta moved to 2-0. Charlotte fell to 1-1 in its home opener, two nights after winning 110-103 at Brooklyn.

Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists in 28:33. He shot 9-of-16 from the field and sat out the fourth quarter.

In the opener at Orlando, Johnson had 20 points and 14 rebounds in a game where Hawks coach Quin Snyder kept trusting him through foul trouble.

Aaron Wiggins matched Johnson's 19 off the bench. He made 7-of-9 shots, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and scored 13 of those points in the second quarter on 5-of-6 shooting.

Atlanta acquired Wiggins from Oklahoma City in a July 6 trade. He scored 16 points in Wednesday's 132-125 win at Orlando, and Snyder laid out afterward why Wiggins had already earned a big role.

All five starters reached double figures. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14, CJ McCollum had 13, Dyson Daniels added 11, and Onyeka Okongwu finished with 10. Every one of the 13 Hawks who played scored.

Daniels also had 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 7 steals. Four of the steals came in the first 3:15 of the third quarter.

Charlotte led twice, at 2-0 and 9-7.

McCollum tied it at 9 with a driving layup, and Johnson's cutting dunk with 8:27 left in the first quarter put Atlanta ahead for good.

The Hawks led 33-20 after one quarter. Wiggins made three 3-pointers in a span of 2:12 early in the second.

Atlanta scored the final 12 points of the half to lead 68-43 at the break.

By the end of the third quarter, the margin was 97-62. It reached 49 when Zuby Ejiofor, the No. 23 pick in June, hit a 3-pointer with 58.2 seconds left to make it 128-79.

Corey Kispert scored all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter. He went 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-4 from deep in 9:40.

Asa Newell, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Ejiofor each made one 3-pointer in the period.

Charlotte committed 27 turnovers, and Atlanta scored 25 points off them.

The Hawks finished with 17 steals and outscored the Hornets 19-6 on fast breaks, 54-34 in the paint, and 21-8 on second-chance points.

Atlanta shot 48-of-95 (50.5%) from the field and 18-of-45 (40%) from 3-point range.

Charlotte shot 30-of-87 (34.5%) and went 11-of-51 (21.6%) from deep, starting 2-of-15 in the first quarter.

Naz Reid led the Hornets with 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting to go with 7 turnovers. Grayson Allen and Tidjane Salaün scored 11 apiece.

Brandon Miller went 2-of-14 from the field and 1-of-11 from 3 for 6 points.

The identity Snyder wants for Atlanta is to defend, run, and share the ball.

"We've been in this business as a player or coach long enough," Snyder said. "You're on both sides of those things. I think for us, it's more about how we play. I think it's important for us to keep that focus. Obviously we won the game the way we did because we played a certain way and that's what we need to take from it as much as anything."

That was the clearest takeaway from a record-setting night. Atlanta did not simply win by 47. It won by playing the style Snyder has been trying to establish.

Kevin Scott, Eric Lewis, and Pat O'Connell worked the game.

Atlanta was called for 21 personal fouls to Charlotte's 18, and Okongwu drew a defensive three-second technical with 5:33 left in the first quarter.

Snyder said some calls under the league's new points of emphasis are hard ones.

"First of all, to be an official in the NBA may be the hardest job," Snyder explained. "Some people say it's coaching. But those guys, understanding all of their mechanics, the level of detail that goes into it. And I think the way the game is right now, there's a few calls that, they're hard, whether it's the new points of emphasis, and so you try to speak to them in a way that you can actually describe what you're seeing on the court. And sometimes you're more demonstrative than others. And that's part of the job too."

"So I felt like the game was really physical early," Snyder continued. "And we were being physical too. I think that's — teams want to be aggressive defensively. So I thought it was good our guys played through that. And you get a feel for how the game's officiated. As I said, they've got an unbelievable difficult job."

Jock Landale, listed as available with a nasal fracture before the game, had 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in 18:12.

Atlanta was without Mouhamed Gueye (left foot fracture) and Henri Veesaar (right knee ACL tear). RayJ Dennis, Keshon Gilbert, and Jalen Wilson were inactive on two-way G League assignments.

Charlotte played without Kon Knueppel (left hamstring strain), Coby White (left calf strain), and Grant Williams (right hamstring strain).

It was the Hornets' first home game since they traded LaMelo Ball, according to the AP, and it drew a sellout crowd of 19,524.

Atlanta hosts the Houston Rockets in its home opener Saturday night at State Farm Arena. The teams meet again Monday in Houston.

The Hawks and Hornets play next on Nov. 20 in Atlanta.