Okongwu leads our grades as the index cools Atlanta's win

The Pred1x Grade puts Onyeka Okongwu on top at 7.3, a full point below the reference 8.3, and that gap sets the tone: our index saw a strong night, not a dominant one. His 29 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists in 32.6 minutes carry a rebounding component of 0.946, but modest playmaking and defense cap the raw score at 0.611.

The sharpest disagreement is Sam Merrill: 16 points off the bench earned a reference 7.5, while our grade lands at 5.7. Nickeil Alexander-Walker's 25 points tell the same story — 5.9 against 7.5 — because volume scoring without rebounding or defense weight barely moves our raw total. Jarrett Allen (6.1 vs 7.5) and James Harden (6.1 vs 7.3) sit in the same discount zone.

Aaron Wiggins (6.9) and Jalen Johnson (6.5) round out Atlanta's top three, with Johnson's 17-8-7 line backed by a 0.658 playmaking mark. The Hawks won 114-111 after trailing 16-28 at halftime; our index says they did it with balance, not star volume.