Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards defeat Atlanta Hawks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bilal Coulibaly scored a career-high 27 points and Washington Wizards beat Atlanta 133-120 on Wednesday night for their second win over the Hawks in three days.

The Wizards won their home series with the Hawks after beating Atlanta 121-119 on Monday. Trae Young had 35 points and 15 assists for Atlanta, but Washington took control with a 16–4 run early in the fourth quarter.

Atlanta was missing two starters Dyson Daniels (right thigh) and De’Andre Hunter (right knee), plus Bogdan Bogdanovich (right hamstring). Washington didn’t move forward Kyle Kuzma (right groin).

Takeaway

Hawks: Young rebounded from going 2-of-15 from the field in Monday’s game, but after scoring 24 points in the first half, the Wizards were able to keep him under control. The injury-plagued Hawks scored 76 points in the second half.

Wizards: Koulibaly, 20, continues to shine as he enters his second season. After scoring 23 points against Cleveland on Saturday, it took him just four days to top that mark.

Key Point

Corey Kispert and rookies Alex Sarr and Keyshawn George made 3-pointers during Washington’s run early in the fourth.

Key Statistics

The second straight matchup between the Hawks and Wizards was also the second straight between the top two players in the 2024 draft class. Sarr, the No. 2 pick, edged No. 1 pick Zakkari Risacher 7-4 on Monday. Risacher finished with a 17-11 lead Wednesday.

Atlanta hosts Sacramento on Friday night, and the Wizards take on the Heat in Mexico City on Saturday night.

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NBA AP: