Hawks beat slumping Bucks 131-113 to win 5th straight and climb above .500

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 23 points and the Atlanta Hawks defeated the slumping Milwaukee Bucks 131-113 on Wednesday night to win their fifth straight game and move above .500 for the first time since December.

Atlanta (32-31) was 15-12 after a Dec. 14 victory over Philadelphia, but the Hawks lost their next seven games and hadn’t owned a winning record since.

Onyeka Okongwu had 21 points and Jalen Johnson added 20 points and nine assists as the Hawks erased an early 16-point deficit. CJ McCollum scored 18 points, while Dyson Daniels had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Hawks outscored the Bucks 65-42 in the second half.

Atlanta didn’t have Jonathan Kuminga available due to inflammation in his left knee, while Milwaukee was missing Kevin Porter Jr. because of swelling in his right knee.

Milwaukee (26-35) fell five games behind 10th-place Atlanta in the Eastern Conference standings, putting the Bucks’ bid for a 10th straight playoff berth in serious jeopardy. The Bucks have lost their last four games by a combined 97 points.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 points for the Bucks in his second game since returning from a right calf strain that caused him to miss five weeks. He received a technical foul for throwing the ball against the stanchion in frustration after a basket by Daniels extended Atlanta's lead to 121-103 with 4:20 left.

Ryan Rollins had 13 points and 12 assists for the Bucks. Kyle Kuzma scored 16 two nights after spending an entire 108-81 loss to the Boston Celtics on the bench.

Milwaukee led 71-66 after a first half in which each team shot at least 60% from the floor. But the Bucks then went ice cold, scoring just two points in the first 5:56 of the third quarter.

Atlanta pulled ahead for good by scoring the first 10 points of the third.

Hawks: Host the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

Bucks: Host the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Milwaukee Bucks forward Ousmane Dieng (21) shoots against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and Myles Turner play defense against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) drives against the Atlanta Hawks' Onyeka Okongwu during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo drives agains the Atlanta Hawks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man who authorities say tried to storm the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives while President Donald Trump appeared in court Monday to face charges in a chaotic encounter that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being rushed off the stage and guests ducking for cover underneath their tables.

Cole Tomas Allen was taken into custody after the shooting on Saturday night and is being charged in federal court in Washington. Court papers laying out the charges were not immediately available, though authorities have said Allen will face charges including assault on a federal officer and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Authorities say an officer wearing a bullet-resistant vest was shot in the vest but is expected to recover.

Allen, of Torrance, California, is being represented by lawyers with the federal defender's office and sat beside them in court in a blue jail uniform.

Prosecutors have not revealed a motive, but in a message reviewed by The Associated Press that authorities say was sent by Allen to family members minutes before the attack, Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin,” made repeated references to the Republican president without naming him and alluded to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions.

Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence of the suspect’s mindset and possible motives.

Allen, 31, is believed to have traveled by train from California to Chicago and then onto Washington, where he checked himself in as a guest at the hotel where the gala dinner was held with its typically tight security, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

Video posted by Trump shows a man, who authorities say was armed with guns and knives, running past a security barricade as Secret Service agents run toward him.

Records show Allen is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer. A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match that of the suspect show he worked part-time for the last six years at a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students.

Associated Press writer Gary Fields contributed to this report.

Law enforcement respond to an incident at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Secret service agents respond during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Pedestrians walk past the home, middle back, connected to Cole Tomas Allen, who was identified as the suspect at the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting, as members of the media stage, in Torrance, Calif., Sunday, April 26, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Members of law enforcement control shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) ADDITION: Adds name of shooting suspect after name shared by law enforcement officials

Attendees and hotel workers evacuate after an incident at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)