Stats Rundown: 5 numbers to know from the Mavericks’ 135-111 preseason loss to the Atlanta Hawks

The final score may not have been pretty, but there will be plenty of takeaways in both directions from the Dallas Mavericks’ (1-3) 135-111 loss to the Atlanta Hawks (4-1) at American Airlines Center on Friday.

Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving were brilliant. The Mavericks’ defense and 3-point shooting struggled for long stretches at a time. The roster construction seems to be, well… cheeks. Zaccharie Risacher looked timid and ineffective against his former team’s starting unit, then scored a bunch of points against guys battling for a roster spot in the fourth quarter.

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You can make what happened against the Hawks on Friday fit any narrative you want it to fit. So, with just five days before the games start counting, go ahead. Confirm all your pre-existing biases. That’s what fandom is all about.

Here are five stats spanning all corners of the spectrum that stood out in the Mavs’ loss to wrap up the 2026-27 preseason schedule.

19: First-quarter points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson

The Mavericks had a ton of trouble staying in front of the Hawks’ two breakout players from a season ago to start the game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the NBA’s Most Improved Player from last year, led all scorers with 10 points in the first quarter on 3-of-4 shooting, while Johnson added nine more, hitting 6-of-7 from the free-throw line to set the tone by getting into the lane at will. Johnson, of course, was a Third-Team All-NBA selection a year ago.

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The pair made all three of their combined 3-point attempts in the first quarter as well, but in the dress rehearsal game, the Mavs at least kept pace with their opponents from beyond the arc to start the game. Atlanta made 6-of-13 from 3-point land in the opening frame, compared to 6-of-11 shooting from deep for the Mavericks.

It was a promising start, in some respects, if not for the Mavs’ inability to limit the Hawks’ best scorers. The Hawks led 39-34 after one. Johnson would go on to lead all scorers with 16 points and 11 rebounds at halftime and finished with 20 and 14 in the win. Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 25 points on 6-of-10 from…

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Publish date : 2026-10-17 03:45:00

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