Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a message for the rest of the NBA: the Virginia Tech product is ready to be a go-to guy.
The Atlanta Hawks shooting guard erupted for 31 points in just 29 minutes Wednesday night, drilling back-to-back three-pointers in the final two minutes to seal a 132-125 road victory over the Orlando Magic in both teams' season opener. It was the kind of clutch, statement performance that defines early-season narratives — and Alexander-Walker authored it.
The Magic, debuting under new head coach Sean Sweeney, had no answer for the Hokies alum in crunch time. Orlando's Desmond Bane pointed to those two consecutive late threes as the decisive blow, the moment the game slipped irretrievably away. Atlanta has now beaten Orlando six straight times, and Alexander-Walker made sure this one wouldn't be close at the finish. He finished the night with three assists, four rebounds, a steal, and a block alongside his 31 points, posting a +10 plus-minus in the win. Jaylen Johnson added 20 points and 12 rebounds in support, but the night belonged to the former Hokie.
Context matters here: Atlanta came into 2026-27 with something to prove after being bounced in the first round last spring by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in six games. A road opener against a scrappy Magic squad was an early test — and Alexander-Walker treated it like an audition.
He didn't let up two days later, either. In a lopsided 128-81 demolition of the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, Alexander-Walker racked up 14 points, five assists, three rebounds, and two steals across 27 minutes, posting a +43 plus-minus as the Hawks rolled. Through two games, he's averaging 22.5 points and is firmly in the conversation as one of Atlanta's most important pieces.
Other Hokies to Watch
Fellow Virginia Tech alum Tobi Lawal has landed with the Dallas Mavericks and appeared in both of Dallas's first two games this week. The Mavs split that pair — falling to the Houston Rockets 110-128 on Thursday before bouncing back to top the Indiana Pacers 121-105 on Friday, a game in which Lawal chipped in a steal with a +3 showing. Detailed stat lines from Lawal remain limited, but his presence on a Dallas roster in the early going is worth tracking for Hokies keeping tabs on the league's newest batch of Virginia Tech alumni.
It's a promising start for Tech's NBA contingent. Alexander-Walker is playing the best basketball of his career two games in, and the Hawks — with playoff aspirations firmly intact — look like a team that will lean on him when it matters most.
AI-generated summary
