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October 9, 2026 at 5:48 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Hawks Hold Off Spurs 123-116 in Preseason Game in San Antonio

Atlanta bounced back from its opener with a seven-point preseason win at the Spurs' home arena, in a night where lineups and minutes were hard to pin down.

Spurs game report image
Spurs game report image

The Hawks came to San Antonio on Thursday night and left with a 123-116 preseason win over the Spurs. Atlanta was the visitor and the Spurs were at home, but in October that tells you less than usual. The margin was seven, close enough to keep the final minutes interesting and not so close that anyone will be reading much into it.

Atlanta arrived with something to clean up. Its preseason opener went to Memphis, 132-123, at State Farm Arena, and the issues were easy to list: lineups that defended poorly, three-point shooting at 32.6 percent, and a night in which the Hawks were outpassed. Scoring 123 on the road against a Finals team is a better answer than most coaches expect to get in a second exhibition.

The Spurs were not a typical October opponent. They are only months removed from their first Finals run of the Wembanyama era, which ended in a loss to the Knicks, and Wembanyama has framed that defeat as fuel. Losing at home in a preseason game will not dent that, but San Antonio did not look like a team that treats these games as a formality either.

As ever this time of year, the rotations were the larger question. Starters rarely play much, and the Hawks were expected to lean on their bench after the first half. The Spurs kept their own starting plans quiet, with Dylan Harper a candidate for a spot after he made a case for a bigger role in the playoffs. RayJ Dennis was also a name to watch for Atlanta after scoring 12 points with three rebounds, three assists and a team-best plus-12 against Memphis.

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