Dennis’ late three and steal finish Hawks’ 113–110 win over Thunder

RayJ Dennis hit a late three, forced a turnover and supplied the final Atlanta assist as the Hawks beat Oklahoma City 113-110 in Monday's preseason game. His closing sequence protected a lead Asa Newell had reclaimed through two offensive rebounds in the final 71 seconds.

Dennis' 25-foot three with 11.6 seconds left made it 111-107. He then stole the ball from Otega Oweh with 4.8 seconds remaining and fed Kobe Johnson for a running layup. Bennett Stirtz's three with half a second left brought the Thunder within three, but the game ended without another possession changing the result.

The finish followed several swings in a game tied 79-79 after three quarters. Oklahoma City led 105-104 when Newell collected an offensive rebound and hit a nine-foot turnaround jumper with 1:11 remaining. Aday Mara answered with an alley-oop dunk from a Stirtz pass to restore the Thunder's lead.

Newell got another second chance on Atlanta's next trip. He missed a three, recovered the rebound and drove for a dunk that made it 108-107 with 42.9 seconds left. Oklahoma City then lost the ball, giving the Hawks the possession that Dennis finished from behind the arc.

This was an exhibition win, and the final minutes came from players getting extended preseason work rather than a settled regular-season rotation.

Jock Landale led Atlanta with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, adding six rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 16 points, six rebounds and five assists, including four made threes. Sportsnet's game summary independently confirmed both players' scoring and supporting totals.

Dennis finished with 13 points, seven assists and three steals in 24 minutes. Newell scored seven points and collected 10 rebounds, five of them offensive. His overall shooting line was 3-for-14, but his two late second-chance baskets were directly responsible for Atlanta's last two lead changes.

Atlanta made 18 threes on 51 attempts and had 31 assists. The Hawks also collected 18 offensive rebounds, creating extra attempts in a game where they shot 42-for-102 overall. Oklahoma City shot 39-for-90, made 13 threes and finished with 51 rebounds to Atlanta's 50.

Stirtz scored 26 points for the Thunder, making six of nine three-point attempts, and played 38 minutes. Oklahoma City kept recovering after Atlanta had built a seven-point halftime lead, outscoring the Hawks 30-23 in the third quarter to bring the teams level.

Atlanta ultimately won the fourth 34-31. The late lead changes explain the narrow final margin more clearly than the overall shooting percentages: Newell turned missed shots into baskets, and Dennis helped the Hawks close the final seconds with a three, a steal and a pass.

Sources

ESPN: Thunder–Hawks final box and play log · Hawks 113, Thunder 110