League date: January 13, 2026

LOS ANGELES, CA — C.J. McCollum scored 31 points and added seven assists to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 116-97 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Zaccharie Risacher chipped in 18 as Atlanta took control early and never looked back.

The Hawks extended their win streak to six, while the Lakers dropped their fourth straight.

“We set the tone early and stayed consistent on both ends,” said the Hawks’ head coach Quinn Snyder. “When we play with that kind of pace and discipline, we’re tough to beat.”

Atlanta jumped out to a 47-36 lead after the first quarter, with McCollum and Risacher both reaching double figures early. The Lakers responded with a 31-29 second quarter, but couldn’t close the gap.

Luka Dončić led LA with 17 points but struggled from the field, shooting 4-of-11 in the first half and scoring just four points after the break. LeBron James added 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting, while Marcus Smart finished with 17 but went just 3-of-11 from deep.

“We’re not executing the way we need to right now,” said the Lakers’ coach JJ Redick. “Too many lapses, especially defensively.”

Atlanta (25-14) continues its turnaround after a rough stretch from late December into early January. They now sit just a half-game behind the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers (29-12).

The Lakers fell to 18-20 and have lost six of their last 10, though they remain in 8th place — 2.5 games clear of the playoff cutoff.