Hornets blown out by Hawks 128-81 in first game home without LaMelo Ball, booed by sellout crowd

Atlanta Hawks demolished the Charlotte Hornets 128-81 in their first home game without star point guard LaMelo Ball, receiving a loud and boisterous reception from the sellout crowd. Jalen Johnson led the way for the Hawks with 19 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. The Hawks forced 14 turnovers in the first half, leading to 15 points on runouts and building a 25-point first-half lead that they never relinquished.

Nickell Alexander-Walker and C.J. McCollum both finished with double-digit scoring. The Hornets struggled to win over fans in their first home game since trading away LaMelo Ball, a decision that was widely unpopular in Charlotte. Brandon Miller, who had signed a franchise-record five-year, $209 million contract extension earlier in the week, failed to make an impact, shooting just six points on 1-of-11 from three-point range.

The Hornets have been without key players Kon Knueppel (hamstring), Coby White (calf), and Grant Williams (hamstring) for the past two games. Coach Charles Lee has not provided a timetable for their return, but all three players are making progress in rehabilitation. The Hawks will host the Miami Heat in a rematch of last year's play-in tournament game on Saturday night.