Rookie guard Trae Young had nine points and eight assists in his return to his home state and the Hawks lost to the Thunder 124-109 in Oklahoma City Friday night.
Young, who hit just 4 of 15 shots from the field, was an All-American at Oklahoma last season. He received a nice ovation during starting lineup introductions. He got a technical in the second quarter after complaining to an official.
Russell Westbrook fell a rebound short of a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Thunder.
Former Hawks guard Dennis Schroder added 18 for Oklahoma City, which shot 52.3 percent from the field and hit a season-high 18 3-pointers.
John Collins and Alex Len each scored 19 points for the Hawks, and Taurean Prince added 15.
The Thunder took control in the second quarter by making 7 of 13 3-pointers to take a 66-46 lead at the break.
The Hawks got it going in the third quarter and cut the deficit to 10. The Thunder pushed their advantage back out to 91-76 by the end of the period. Patrick Patterson hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth to bump Oklahoma City's lead back up to 20.
The Hawks’ Vince Carter got a technical from the bench in the third quarter. He did not play.
The Hawks (5-18) host Golden State on Monday night at 7:30
