ATLANTA (AP) — Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson each scored 20 points, and three days after losing to the Celtics on the road, the Hawks responded with a 112-102 win over Boston on Monday night. It was Atlanta's 13th consecutive home win.
Okongwu (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Johnson each had double-doubles. It was Johnson's (20 points, 12 rebounds) 45th of the season.
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Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder speaks in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) shoots against Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) shoots against Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (30) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) grabs a loose ball against Boston Celtics center Luka Garza (52) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) dunks against the Boston Celtics in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A tightly contested first half with 10 ties and nine lead changes ended at 54-all as Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit a 27-foot 3-pointer to seal the first half. Atlanta carried that momentum into the third quarter, outscoring the Celtics 36-22 to take a 14-point lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
The Celtics climbed back from a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to come within eight points in the last two minutes. Johnson and Alexander-Walker helped put the game out of reach with four made free throws in the final minute.
Boston’s lineup looked different this time around, with Jaylen Brown returning after a two-game absence and Jayson Tatum on the bench with injury management. Tatum scored 26 points during the teams’ Friday meeting.
Brown had a team high 29 points and 10 rebounds. Luka Garza had 20 points and nine rebounds.
Dyson Daniels, Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga returned to game action after missing Saturday's contest vs. the Kings. Daniels added 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
The Celtics play at Miami on Wednesday night.
The Hawks play at Orlando on Wednesday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder speaks in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) shoots against Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) shoots against Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (30) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) grabs a loose ball against Boston Celtics center Luka Garza (52) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) dunks against the Boston Celtics in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
NEW YORK (AP) — Kamala Harris “wrote off rural America" during the 2024 presidential campaign and failed to attack Donald Trump with sufficient “negative firepower," according to a long-awaited post-election autopsy released on Thursday by the Democratic National Committee.
The committee's chair, Ken Martin, shared the 192-page report only after facing intense internal pressure from frustrated Democratic operatives concerned with his leadership. Martin had originally promised to release the autopsy, only to keep it under wraps for months because he was concerned it would be a distraction ahead of the midterms as Democrats mobilize to take back control of Congress.
On Tuesday, Martin apologized for his handling of the situation and conceded that the report was withheld because it “was not ready for primetime."
Although the autopsy criticizes Democrats' focus on “identity politics,” it sidesteps some of the most controversial elements of the 2024 campaign. The report does not address former President Joe Biden’s decision to seek reelection, the rushed selection of Harris to replace him on the ticket or the party's acrimonious divide over the war in Gaza.
“I am not proud of this product; it does not meet my standards, and it won’t meet your standards,” Martin wrote in an essay on Substack on Thursday. “I don’t endorse what’s in this report, or what’s left out of it. I could not in good faith put the DNC’s stamp of approval on it. But transparency is paramount.”
A spokesperson for Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The initial reaction from Democratic operatives was a mix of bafflement and anger over Martin's handling of the situation.
“Why not say this in 2024, or bring in more people to finish it, instead of turning this into the dumbest media cycle for 7-8 months?” Democratic strategist Steve Schale wrote on social media.
The postelection report, which was authored by Democratic consultant Paul Rivera, calls for “a renewed focus on the voters of Middle America and the South, who have come to believe they are not included in the Democratic vision of a stronger and more dynamic America for everyone.”
“Millions of Americans are suffering from poor access to healthcare, manufacturing and job losses, and a failing infrastructure, yet continue to be persuaded to vote against their best interests because they do not see themselves reflected in the America of the Democratic Party,” the report says.
The autopsy points to a reduction in support and training for Democratic state parties, voter registration shifts and “a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”
Thursday's release comes as Martin confronts a crisis of confidence among party officials who are increasingly concerned about the health of their political machine barely a year into his term. Some Democratic operatives have had informal discussions about recruiting a new chair, even though most believe that Martin’s job wasn't in serious jeopardy ahead of the midterm elections.
The report found that Harris and her allies failed to focus enough on Trump's negatives, especially his felony convictions. This was part of a broader criticism that Democrats' messaging is too focused on reason and winning arguments, “even in cycles when the electorate is defined by rage.”
“There was a decision in the 2024 Democratic leadership not to engage in negative advertising at the scale required,” the report states. “The Trump campaign and supportive Super PACs went full throttle against Vice President Harris, but there was not sufficient or similar negative firepower directed at Trump by Democrats.”
The report continues: “It was essential to prosecute a more effective case as to why Trump should have been disqualified from ever again taking office. The grounds were there, but the messaging did not make the case.”
Trump's attack on Harris' transgender policies were cited as a key contrast.
Specifically, the report suggested the Democratic nominee was “boxed” in by the Trump campaign's “very effective” ad that highlighted Harris' previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-affirming surgeries for prison inmates.
Democratic pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position – and she did not – then there was nothing which would have worked as a response," the report said.
The report criticized Harris' outreach to key segments of America while condemning the party's focus on “identity politics.”
“Harris wrote off rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work,” the report says. “You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a significant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen, and then do it again.”
The report also references Democrats' underperformance with male voters of color.
“Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns, and don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color,” it says.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event about loosening a federal refrigerant rule, in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a fireside chat on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
FILE - Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at DNC headquarters, Jan. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert, File)
