The LA Lakers took a one-point lead into the half, but the Atlanta Hawks found their groove in the second for a five-point victory.
The Hawks were led by John Collins, who tallied a game-high 27 points on 73% shooting. However, the big story of the game came in the second quarter when LA Lakers star LeBron James left with an ankle injury.
With the loss, the LA Lakers have fallen to 28-14 on the season, but their immediate focus will be on the health of LeBron James.
Upon LeBron James' departure from the game, the LA Lakers opened the second half with a seven-minute scoreless streak. The Atlanta Hawks kept pressuring the entire game, as the win took them to 22-20 for the season.
LeBron James is expected to be evaluated immediately, leaving the LA Lakers without their star duo for the time being. The LA Lakers' offense tallied just 36 points in the second half, a testament to LeBron James' impact on the team.
The Atlanta Hawks received some huge bench minutes from Danilo Gallinari, who tallied 14 of his 18 points in the second half to secure the victory. While this is a strong victory for Atlanta Hawks, the LA Lakers will immediately be concerned about LeBron James' condition.
Here's how Twitter reacted to LeBron James' injury:
Clearly, no one in the basketball community wants to see a superstar fall victim to injury. Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game, and the LA Lakers' season will continue tomorrow against the Phoenix Suns.
Here are more reactions to LeBron James' second quarter injury:
John Collins and Clint Capela combined for 32 of the Atlanta Hawks' 49 team rebounds, controlling the glass against the LA Lakers all game. The Hawks have now won eight straight games, putting them in a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Here's how Twitter reacted to the Atlanta Hawks' road victory: