Instant reaction to CJ McCollum’s wild 40-point night against the Hawks

CJ McCollum is in the midst of his worst season since his second season in the NBA. The The Washington Wizards haven’t exactly given him such a prominent role as in previous years, and as a result, its numbers have dropped significantly. He entered their clash against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night averaging just 16.5 points per game – the first time he’s averaged less than 20 points a night since the 2014-15 campaign.

But Tuesday night brought back the vintage version of McCollum. The Wizards veteran torched the Hawks with 46 points on 17-25 shooting from the field and an even more insane 10-13 from beyond the arc – playing by far his best game of the season and leading his team to a 132-113 victory over the Hawks.

After the game, McCollum outlined how hard he tries on his game, resulting in this crazy night to score.

“Yeah, just keep swimming. I put in a lot of time. I sacrifice a lot of time away from my family to get in the gym at night,” McCollum told Meghan McPeak of the Monumental Sports Network. “These results come in the dark. They come from working hard in the dark. A lot of sleepless nights trying to figure out how to really master my craft and be more consistent with my jump shot.”

“Bub said it was all because of his pajama pants!” 😂

Despite the comfortable @WashWizards gift, @CJMcCollum says @meghanmcpeak his 40 point night came down to dedication and teamwork 🤞 pic.twitter.com/jgN9ScCKSCo

— Monumental Sports Network (@MonSportsNet) November 26, 2025

McCollum has been one of the most consistent scorers in the NBA for over a decade, and this game looks to be a turning point for him in his tenure with the Wizards.

The Wizards stop the bleeding thanks to a tremendous performance by CJ McCollum

The Wizards entered Tuesday night’s game against the Hawks having lost their last 14 games. This losing streak didn’t look like it was going to end anytime soon, but they were able to turn the tables on a Hawks team that was playing well to stop the bleeding.

They now have a 2-15 record on the year, and they may not be done winning yet. They will face the Indiana Pacers on Friday, which could be another in the win column for them amid the rotten campaign of the reigning NBA Finals runner-up.