Atlanta Hawks First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Onyeka Okongwu scored the Hawks’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 19 times in 69 starts, or 28% of the games they started. Nickeil Alexander-Walker was next with 14. The Hawks made the game’s first field goal in 45% of their 88 games and won 49% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Hawks in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any ATL player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for ATL | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onyeka Okongwu | 69 | 19 | 28% | 8 | 12% |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | 77 | 14 | 18% | 7 | 9% |
| Zaccharie Risacher | 46 | 13 | 28% | 4 | 9% |
| Dyson Daniels | 82 | 11 | 13% | 6 | 7% |
| Jalen Johnson | 78 | 11 | 14% | 3 | 4% |
| CJ McCollum | 31 | 10 | 32% | 6 | 19% |
| Kristaps Porzingis | 12 | 5 | 42% | 3 | 25% |
| Corey Kispert | 8 | 3 | 38% | 2 | 25% |
| Mouhamed Gueye | 8 | 1 | 12% | 1 | 12% |
| Vit Krejci | 8 | 1 | 12% | 0 | 0% |
| Trae Young | 10 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Hawks scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 88 | 40 | 45% |
| Home | 44 | 23 | 52% |
| Away | 44 | 17 | 39% |
| Regular season | 82 | 39 | 48% |
| Playoffs | 6 | 1 | 17% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onyeka Okongwu | 66 | 28 | 42% |
| Kristaps Porzingis | 12 | 8 | 67% |
| Mouhamed Gueye | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| Jock Landale | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| Christian Koloko | 2 | 1 | 50% |
| Tony Bradley | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Team | 86 | 42 | 49% |
How the Hawks’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 28 | 32% |
| 3-pointer | 28 | 32% |
| Layup | 21 | 24% |
| Dunk | 11 | 12% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for ATL | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyson Daniels | 77 | 19 | 25% | 9 | 12% |
| Zaccharie Risacher | 74 | 18 | 24% | 8 | 11% |
| Trae Young | 77 | 16 | 21% | 7 | 9% |
| Jalen Johnson | 35 | 8 | 23% | 6 | 17% |
| Mouhamed Gueye | 30 | 7 | 23% | 4 | 13% |
| Onyeka Okongwu | 42 | 4 | 10% | 3 | 7% |
| De’Andre Hunter | 4 | 3 | 75% | 2 | 50% |
| Clint Capela | 40 | 3 | 8% | 2 | 5% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Hawks?
Onyeka Okongwu, with 19 of the Hawks’ first baskets in 2025-26 (28% of their 69 starts), ahead of Nickeil Alexander-Walker with 14.
How often do the Hawks score first?
The Hawks made the first field goal in 40 of 88 games in 2025-26 (45%): 52% at home and 39% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Hawks?
Onyeka Okongwu took 66 of the Hawks’ 86 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 42% of them.
Is Onyeka Okongwu a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 28% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.