The Los Angeles Lakers kept rolling on Monday night, beating the Atlanta Hawks 124-114 at State Farm Arena. The Lakers Hawks 124-114 result stretched the Lakers' winning streak to six games and lifted them to an NBA-best 10-2, their strongest start since the 2019-20 season that ended with a championship.

Luka Doncic led the way in his return from a one-game absence, scoring 32 points with 10 assists, eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks. He missed Sunday's win at Detroit with lower back tightness, but showed no sign of the problem in Atlanta.

Key Points

• The Lakers beat the Hawks 124-114 on Monday, November 9, 2026, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
• Los Angeles won its sixth straight game and improved to an NBA-best 10-2, its best start since 2019-20.
• Luka Doncic scored 32 points with 10 assists, eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks in his return from back tightness.
• Walker Kessler added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Collin Sexton scored 18 off the bench.
• Atlanta fell to 7-5 as its four-game winning streak was snapped, despite 21 points from CJ McCollum.

What Happened

Atlanta made the better start, racing to a 15-7 lead, but the early energy did not last. The Lakers steadied themselves, took control midway through the first half and never trailed again.

Doncic was the difference. He shot 11-of-22, ran the offence as the league's scoring leader at 40.1 points per game, and added five steals that turned defence into easy points. It was the fifth game of his career with at least 30 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals.

The supporting cast did its part. Kessler finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, giving the Lakers a reliable second option inside, while Sexton added 18 points and six assists off the bench. Their production mattered all the more because Austin Reaves sat out with illness, one day after scoring 43 points at Detroit.

Atlanta refused to go away. The Hawks cut the deficit to 115-111 with three and a half minutes left, but the Lakers answered with a 6-0 burst that closed the door. McCollum led Atlanta with 21 points off the bench, but the Hawks could not find the stops they needed when it mattered most.

Lakers Hawks 124-114: Doncic Returns in Style

The headline number was 32 points, but the performance was about more than scoring. Doncic's return after missing the Detroit game with lower back tightness removed the one worry hanging over the Lakers' week. Back problems can linger, especially for a player carrying the league's heaviest scoring load, yet Doncic moved freely and attacked the basket without hesitation.

His all-round line told the story. Eight rebounds and five steals showed a player engaged at both ends, while 10 assists reflected how much of the offence runs through him. When Atlanta closed within four late on, Doncic steadied the group with the right reads.

There was also a quiet moment after the final buzzer that said something about the locker room. Doncic retrieved the game ball for rookie Cameron Carr, who had scored his first NBA points during the game. It was a small gesture, but the kind a young player remembers long after the box score is forgotten.

Background: A Start Not Seen Since the Title Season

At 10-2, the Lakers have made their best start since 2019-20, the season that ended with the franchise's 17th championship. That comparison will follow them for a while: this team has won in different ways during the six-game streak, with Doncic carrying the scoring, the bench stepping up when starters sit, and the defence holding firm late.

The context of the last week makes the run more impressive. Doncic scored 42 points in the Lakers' 138-117 win over the Miami Heat just a week ago, and the team has kept winning even when he has been unavailable or a teammate has been out. Sunday's win at Detroit came without Doncic, and Monday's in Atlanta came without Reaves, who had scored 43 the night before.

That depth is what separates a hot start from a genuine contender. Kessler's double-double and Sexton's 18 off the bench in Atlanta were the kind of contributions that keep a season alive when the schedule turns difficult, and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have set a strong pace of their own, with the Thunder beating the Suns 125-114 behind a career-high 30 from Ajay Mitchell.

Reactions

No post-game player or coach quotations were carried in the wire reports checked for this article, so none are reproduced here. The reporting focused on the game itself: Doncic's return, the Lakers' control after the early deficit, and the late 6-0 run that decided it. What stood out was the scale of Doncic's season so far: leading the NBA at 40.1 points per game, he is producing numbers the league has rarely seen, and the Hawks' defence had no answer for him in the second half.

Why It Matters

The 10-2 start matters because of what it says about the Lakers' staying power. A six-game winning streak built on different contributors is harder to stop than one built on a single player, and the Lakers have now shown both. Doncic can dominate, as he did on Monday, but the team can also win without him, as it did on Sunday in Detroit.

For the rest of the league, the message is plain. The team with the NBA's best record also has the league's leading scorer, and its supporting cast is producing. If the Lakers stay healthy, they will be the team everyone else is measured against for the rest of the autumn.

What Happens Next

The Lakers will look to extend the streak in their next outing, with the obvious question being whether Reaves returns from illness and whether Doncic's back stays quiet. Both are worth watching: Reaves was coming off a 43-point night when he fell ill, and Doncic's workload makes rest management a season-long issue.

Atlanta will try to start a new winning run of its own. The Hawks have shown they can compete with the best, and their next games offer a chance to prove the four-game streak was no fluke. If McCollum keeps producing off the bench, the Hawks have a weapon few teams can match.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score of Lakers vs Hawks?
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 124-114 on Monday, November 9, 2026, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

How many points did Luka Doncic score?
Doncic scored 32 points with 10 assists, eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks, shooting 11-of-22 from the field.

What is the Lakers' record now?
The Lakers improved to 10-2, the best record in the NBA, with six straight wins and their best start since the 2019-20 championship season.

Why did Austin Reaves miss the game?
Reaves sat out with illness, one day after scoring 43 points in the Lakers' win at Detroit.

Who led the Hawks in scoring?
CJ McCollum led Atlanta with 21 points off the bench. The Hawks fell to 7-5 and had a four-game winning streak snapped.