Nets Look to Build Momentum Against Hawks in Atlanta

The Brooklyn Nets will look to carry some momentum into the weekend when they travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks on Saturday night. Brooklyn is coming off its first home win of the season and will have an opportunity to make it two straight victories against a Hawks team that has gotten off to a better start.

The Nets enter Saturday's matchup with a 2-6 record after defeating the Charlotte Hornets 114-104 at Barclays Center on Wednesday night. It was an important win for a young Brooklyn team that had struggled to close out games earlier in the season, particularly after blowing a fourth-quarter lead against the New York Knicks on Monday.

This time, the Nets found a way to finish the job, putting together a strong second-half performance to pull away from Charlotte. Michael Porter Jr. led the way with 26 points and 10 rebounds, recording a double-double to help Brooklyn earn its second victory of the season.

Julius Randle also had a productive night, finishing with 22 points, while Mikel Brown Jr. delivered the best scoring performance of his young NBA career with 18 points. Nolan Traoré continued to show encouraging signs, adding 16 points and three steals, and Danny Wolf contributed 13 points and five rebounds after receiving an opportunity to play.

Getting contributions from throughout the rotation was particularly encouraging for Brooklyn. Wolf and Terance Mann both entered Wednesday's game after not playing in the first half, giving the Nets some much-needed energy. Porter also knocked down three consecutive three-pointers during an important stretch of the fourth quarter, helping Brooklyn avoid another late-game collapse.

Now, the challenge will be carrying that performance over to the road against an Atlanta team that has been playing solid basketball to open the season.

The Hawks come into Saturday's contest with a 6-4 record after picking up a 139-132 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night. Atlanta has now won three consecutive games and will look to keep that momentum going, although Saturday's matchup will be the second night of a back-to-back.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 26 points, while Onyeka Okongwu delivered a strong performance with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals. Lu Dort finished with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including five three-pointers, and added seven rebounds. Aaron Wiggins contributed 19 points off the bench, while Dyson Daniels nearly recorded a triple-double with 13 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists.

Kingston Flemings also continued to make the most of his opportunity, finishing with 11 points and six assists in his second career start. Zuby Ejiofor rounded out the balanced effort with 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists.

The Hawks have gotten contributions from different parts of their roster throughout the early portion of the season, something Brooklyn will need to account for defensively. Atlanta's depth and ability to get production from multiple players could present problems for a Nets team that is still trying to establish consistency. However, playing on consecutive nights could allow Brooklyn to take advantage of a potentially tired Atlanta group.

There is also some recent history between these two teams worth mentioning. Atlanta swept Brooklyn in all four meetings last season, giving the Nets another reason to approach Saturday's matchup looking to turn things around. Brooklyn will have an opportunity to show some progress against a team that gave it plenty of trouble a season ago.

Atlanta will be without Asa Newell, who exited Wednesday's game with a left great toe hyperextension and is expected to be sidelined for two weeks. Jock Landale (hip) has also been ruled out after missing the Hawks' last three games, while Jalen Johnson (ankle) is listed as probable for Saturday.

The Nets will need to pay particular attention to Atlanta's frontcourt situation, especially with Onyeka Okongwu coming off a 22-point, 10-rebound performance in Friday's win over Washington. Johnson's expected return would give the Hawks another important option inside, but Brooklyn could have an opportunity to take advantage of their frontcourt absences.

Saturday presents another opportunity for the Nets to build some momentum after finally getting a win at Barclays Center. The improvement shown against Charlotte was encouraging, but Brooklyn will need to bring that same energy, ball movement, and defensive effort on the road.

The Hawks have been playing well and already have a winning record, so this will be another difficult test for a Nets team still finding its identity. With Porter and Randle leading the way offensively and younger players like Brown, Traoré, and Wolf continuing to develop, Brooklyn will look to put together another complete performance and pick up its second road win of the season.

The Nets and Hawks will tip off Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.