Kispert's career-high 33 points, fueled by an electric start, overwhelmed the Wizards as the Hawks secured a commanding sweep.
Atlanta Hawks sharpshooter Corey Kispert had a feeling early. The first corner 3 dropped, a couple of easier looks followed, and the Washington Wizards never found an answer.
Kispert poured in a career-high 33 points Thursday as the Hawks closed out a two-game sweep of Washington with a 126-96 victory at State Farm Arena. Atlanta led both games from start to finish — the first time that's happened in back-to-back contests since March 2022 — and held the Wizards under 100 points in each meeting for the first time since February 2024. The Hawks have won three straight and sit at 30-31.
Kispert was locked in from the opening tip. He went 7-for-7 from the field to begin the night, drilling five 3-pointers and scoring 19 points in his first seven minutes before finally missing with 9:10 left in the second quarter. He had 22 by halftime, matching his previous career best for a single half. He wasn't close to finished.
"I felt really good in warmups," Kispert said. "The ball felt great in my hands. When that first corner three went in, I knew I might have something good going. It kind of all just happened so fast."
He finished 11-for-19 from the field, hitting six of 11 3-point attempts, and tacked on six rebounds and a chase-down block that brought the crowd to its feet. The block was set up by his own mistake — a turnover that gave Washington a clear path in transition — and Kispert sprinted back to erase it.
"I made a horrible pass, a terrible decision," he said. "When you make turnovers like that, you waste a possession, you let the team down. My instinct was just to get it back. I was either going to foul him hard or block the shot. Glad I did it legally."
Kispert came into the night with a career high of 29 points. He cleared that mark on a baseline cut off an out-of-bounds play, then kept pushing. Throughout, he kept quiet about how close he was getting — no jinxes, no announcements.
"I wanted to keep it on the low," he said. "Didn't want to tell anybody, didn't want to jinx it. Really happy I got it done. It was a lot of fun."
Teammate Zaccharie Risacher said nobody needed to be told.
"It was obvious," Risacher said. "He was playing great, and I'm sure it was a special game for him too, playing the Wizards. It was great to witness."
CJ McCollum finished with 25 points on 9-for-19 shooting in his own return to Washington. He put the night in plain terms.
"It was just another game," McCollum said. "I was there for 120 days. It was a great time, the organization was great to me, but I've moved on and I think they've moved on too. Just a team that was in our way."
He was quick to note the night carried more weight for his teammate.
"This game meant more to him," McCollum said. "He's been there for a long time. For me, I had a cup of coffee and some tea there. I just figured out my directions to the facility without a GPS and got traded. He spent real time there, so I'm glad he had a good night. He looked great."
Jonathan Kuminga added 17 points and nine rebounds in his second game as a Hawk. Dyson Daniels posted 13 points, 11 assists and five steals, joining Jalen Johnson, Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham as the only players in the league this season to record at least 10 points, 10 assists and five steals in the same game. Onyeka Okongwu chipped in 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Atlanta played without Johnson, the team's leading scorer, who sat out with a left hip flexor injury, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the second-leading scorer, who missed the game with a left ankle sprain. Both were hurt Tuesday and neither injury is considered long-term.
The play of the night came in the second quarter when Risacher took a pass in transition, gathered near the dotted circle and threw down a left-handed dunk over French national teammate Bilal Coulibaly. The contact sent Risacher stumbling into the stanchion and drew a foul.
"I wasn't sure I had it," Risacher said. "When I saw everybody's reaction I realized I actually made that dunk. That's why it took me a minute."
Washington got 14 points apiece from Tre Johnson, Will Riley, Justin Hardy and Justin Champagnie. The Wizards were without leading scorer Alex Sarr, who missed his sixth straight game with a right hamstring strain, and second-leading scorer Kyshawn George, out with a left knee contusion.
Atlanta hosts Portland on Sunday at 6 p.m. EST.