Good, bad and ugly: Hawks lose focus during Wizards’ 3-point shooting barrage

WASHINGTON — Hawks guard Dyson Daniels explained perfectly the results of the team’s 132-113 loss Tuesday to the Wizards at Capital One Arena. The Hawks got fried.

Tuesday’s loss marks one of the Hawks’ worst since their season-opening defeat to the Raptors in October. They trailed the Wizards, who had a 1-15 record entering Tuesday’s game, by as many as 33 points.

But they did not have the focus to sustain a rally to come back like they have from so many significant deficits before.

“That’s a team that’s not only been in games, but been knocking on the door to win games, and we knew that,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “It wasn’t a surprise. And, we’re a group that really needs each other on both ends of the floor. When we’re playing that way, we’re good, and when we’re not we’re not so good. And I think sometimes that adversity of those shots, you know, is a challenge when we’re missing and they’re making (them).”

The good

The Hawks have had some strong outings from center Onyeka Okongwu this season. Over the past six games, Okongwu has provided the Hawks with some scoring stability, averaging 22.7 points on 58.5% overall shooting and 48.9% shooting from 3.

With Trae Young out of the rotation, the Hawks have had to lean on multiple options to generate offense. They’ve played through their bigs, such as Okongwu, as well as Jalen Johnson.

It has allowed Okongwu to get out to the perimeter, where he has gained confidence as a shooter. But when the Hawks operate with the right spacing habits, Okongwu has been able to drive to the basket and let off quick shots at the rim.

Okongwu had an efficient outing Tuesday, where he made 8-of-14 overall shots, with three 3-point shots in 19 minutes.

The bad

But the Hawks have not been able to consistently find the right spacing. On Tuesday, their ball movement fell stagnant at times. They did not force the Wizards to chase them, and that forced the Hawks to settle for 3’s early in the game.

When the Hawks looked to move the ball, they did not move it in a way that drew Wizards center Alex Sarr out of the paint. It left some of the Hawks’ best drivers, like Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and cutters flat-footed, and they did not attack the rim effectively.

The Hawks attempted only 23% of their shots at the rim, according to Cleaning the Glass.

“I don’t think we had the right focus. I think,” Snyder said, “that can happen when you got good shots early, they just didn’t go in. And then they’re making them, and obviously the scoreboard reflects that.

“But it also has an impact on your mentality, and that’s where you just, during those times, you find them in every game, it was extreme (Tuesday night). And those are those moments and things where you have to really stay connected and continue to stay focused and not get discouraged.”

The ugly

The Hawks’ defense has taken a hit.

Their defense had been one of the driving forces in many of their wins, with the Hawks winning five consecutive games in early November.

But over the past five games, they have the ninth worst defense in the NBA. They’ve gone 2-3 in the past five games, averaging 119 opponent points per game.

It showed Tuesday, with the Hawks allowing the Wizards, who have the league’s fourth worst offensive efficiency, to score 132 points. The Wizards torched the Hawks in transition, averaging 9.8 points per 100 transition plays, according to Cleaning the Glass.