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It’s been a good week for the Atlanta Hawks.
Just a few days removed from defeating the defending champion Boston Celtics in the preliminary game of the NBA Cup, Atlanta moved to 2-0 in the tournament with a 124-110 victory over the Washington Wizards.
The victory puts the Hawks in a solid position to advance to the knockout stage of the in-season tournament. It was also the first time in three meetings that Atlanta was able to claim a victory over Washington.
It was also another showcase of the top two picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, Zaccharie Risacher of the Hawks and Alex Sarr of the Wizards.
Risacher had 11 points, two rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes while shooting 4-of-12 on field goals and 0-of-4 from three-point range. Sarr had a stronger day, scoring 20 points with seven rebounds, four steals, three blocks and two assists.
The star of the day, however, was Hawks guard Dyson Daniels. He scored 25 points with six steals, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Fans took to social media to praise Daniels’ effort and strong defensive start to the season.
Kevin Keneely @KevinKeneely1
Dyson Daniels is the fourth player in NBA history have 15+ points and 5+ steals in four-straight games and the first since Michael Jordan (1990).<br><br>Magic Johnson<br>Alvin Robertson<br>Michael Jordan<br>Dyson Daniels <a href=”https://t.co/nKtaXwA4ct”>pic.twitter.com/nKtaXwA4ct</a>
Daniels is leading the NBA in steals at 3.6 per game. Notably, he has 25 steals in his last four games. He has helped Atlanta to a 5-7 start to the season.
The Hawks are still undefeated within East Group C and have games remaining against Chicago and Cleveland.