Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s career-high Hawks outing and a 70% bench explosion from deep flipped the script on Stephen Curry’s 31-point night, vaulting Atlanta into the East’s top-six picture while exposing Golden State’s worrisome 0-2 record when both Curry and Butler top 30.
Instant Context: Why This Game Mattered
On a night the Warriors hoped to extend a three-game home winning streak, the Hawks arrived without Trae Young and Dejounte Murray and still dropped 124 on a top-10 defense. The takeaway isn’t just that Atlanta won—it’s how: six players hit double-figures, the bench outscored Golden State’s reserves 48-23, and Alexander-Walker’s 24 points came on only 14 shots, the most efficient scoring night of his 223-game career.
The Turning Point: 1:14 That Broke Golden State
Score tied 51-51, 1:14 left in the second quarter. Steve Kerr subbed in Moses Moody for spacing. Quin Snyder countered by putting the ball in Alexander-Walker’s hands. Result:
- Step-back 28-footer over Andrew Wiggins
- Transition pull-up three after a Jalen Johnson steal
- Foul-line jumper plus the harm, completing an 8-0 solo run
Atlanta never trailed again. The Warriors, who entered the game +11.2 per 100 possessions when Curry and Butler shared the floor, were outscored by 18 in that duo’s 27 minutes according to NBA.com tracking data.
Hawks Rotation Revolution
Since the calendar flipped to 2026, Atlanta is 6-2 with the league’s third-best net rating (+8.7). The secret? Snyder’s staggered-stars approach:
- Alexander-Walker operates as the primary initiator in bench-heavy units, freeing CJ McCollum to play off the ball.
- Luke Kennard has hit 20-of-32 threes in that eight-game stretch, giving the second unit a league-leading 46.2% corner-three frequency.
- Jalen Johnson is averaging 21-9-5 in January, the first Hawk since Josh Smith (2010) to post those numbers in any calendar month.
The upshot: Atlanta’s bench now ranks fourth in offensive efficiency after sitting 24th on Christmas Day per Basketball-Reference.
Warriors Warning Lights
Golden State’s 5-for-19 first-half three-point clip wasn’t variance—it was structural. With Draymond Green mired in a 3-of-22 slump from deep over his last 11 games, opponents are ignoring him entirely, creating a 4-on-5 half-court environment that forces Curry into contested 35-footers. The Warriors are 3-7 when Green plays 25+ minutes and fails to hit a three, a trend that predates Butler’s arrival.
Compound that with a bench that produced only 23 points—the fourth time in five games under 25—and Golden State’s depth looks paper-thin. Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis logged 12 minutes but was a team-worst -14; Kerr’s small-ball look with Wiggins at the five was outscored 18-6 in four minutes.
History Sidebar: Curry Clan Climbs the Charts
Stephen’s 31 moved the Curry father-son tandem to 38,944 career points, leap-frogging the Bryants (38,895) for second on the all-time combined list. They still trail LeBron & Bronny (42,692), but at 36 and 27 respectively, the Currys have time—especially if Seth rejoins the NBA fray.
What’s Next
Atlanta flies to Los Angeles for a Tuesday date with the Lakers, where a win would tie them with Miami for the East’s final playoff spot. Expect Snyder to keep Alexander-Walker’s minutes in the 30s; he’s +47 in 2026, best on the roster.
Golden State hosts Portland on the same night, desperate to avoid a three-game skid before a five-game road trip that includes Denver and Boston. Kerr hinted he may shorten the rotation to eight, a signal that Moody and Brandin Podziemski could see extended run.
Key Stat to Remember
The Hawks are now 9-1 when Alexander-Walker scores 15+—the best individual win-rate on the team. In a crowded East, that correlation could decide seeding come April.
Stay locked on onlytrustedinfo.com for the fastest post-game analytics and next-day projections—your shortcut to knowing why the final score is only the beginning of the story.
