Hawks Beat Hornets 128-81 for Largest Win in Team History

The Atlanta Hawks beat the Charlotte Hornets 128-81 on Friday, Oct 23, 2026, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. The 47 point margin is the largest win in Hawks history. It topped the previous record of 46 points, set in a 126-80 win over Sacramento on Nov 15, 2017.

Atlanta decided the game early. The Hawks led 33-20 after the first quarter and 68-43 at halftime. They led 97-62 after the third quarter and closed with a 31-19 fourth quarter. The quarter scores told the story in full: Atlanta scored 33, 35, 29 and 31 points, while Charlotte scored 20, 23, 19 and 19.

A record margin built early

Atlanta shot 50.5 percent from the field and shared the ball from the opening minutes. Charlotte gave the ball away 27 times, and those mistakes kept feeding Atlanta runs. Each time Charlotte tried to settle the game, a turnover or a missed stretch sent the margin the other way.

The lead reached a level where the fourth quarter carried no doubt about the result. Atlanta stayed 2-0 with the win. Charlotte fell to 1-1 after a home opener that went wrong in the first half and never recovered.

Balanced scoring for Atlanta

Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 19 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Aaron Wiggins also scored 19 points off the bench. Wiggins made 7 of 9 shots, including 3 of 5 from three point range.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14 points and CJ McCollum added 13. Dyson Daniels scored 11 points with 9 rebounds, and the wire report credited him with 7 steals. Corey Kispert also scored 11 points, and Onyeka Okongwu scored 10. Seven Hawks reached double figures, and no Atlanta player had to carry the scoring alone.

That balance is the clearest sign in the box score. Johnson created plays, Wiggins scored with high efficiency off the bench, and Daniels pressed Charlotte into errors on the other end.

A hard home opener for Charlotte

Charlotte arrived home after winning at Brooklyn two nights earlier. The home opener brought a different test, and Charlotte failed it at both ends. Naz Reid led Charlotte with 17 points. Grayson Allen scored 11 points and Tidjane Salaun also scored 11.

Brandon Miller struggled through the night. He made 2 of 14 shots and finished with 6 points. With Miller cold and turnovers mounting, Charlotte had no steady source of offense to slow Atlanta down.

Charlotte scored 43 points in the first half and 38 in the second. Atlanta, by contrast, scored at a steady rate in all four quarters and never let the lead fall back into a range where one run could change the game.

Why it matters and what happens next

A 47 point win in the second game of a season sets a record, but it also sends a simple message about depth. Atlanta won with shooting, pressure and scoring from across the roster. Charlotte learned how fast a game can slip away when a team gives the ball away 27 times against an opponent shooting above 50 percent.

For Atlanta, the task now is to carry the same defensive pressure into the next game and treat this result as a start, not a peak. For Charlotte, the response starts with ball security and a better shooting night from Miller. One loss at 1-1 does not define a season, but the size of this loss will stay in the record book on the Atlanta side.