Charlotte Hornets guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) is defended by Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brett Davis)

Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan lamented the lack of defense and energy after his team fell to the Charlotte Hornets 126-109 at State Farm Arena on Sunday. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the Hornets with 24 points and eight rebounds. Nick Richards poured in 20 points off the bench for Charlotte.

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Hawks guard Dejounte Murray said he felt Atlanta didn’t take Charlotte seriously. While, Trae Young, who led all scorers with 28 points, says Charlotte has NBA players too.

Atlanta will now go on a five-game, ten-day road trip, facing the Pistons twice, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Toronto Raptors, and the New York Knicks.

Itoro Umontuen currently serves as Managing Editor of The Atlanta Voice. Upon his arrival to the historic publication, he served as their Director of Photography. As a mixed-media journalist, Umontuen...