CJ McCollum is in the middle of his worst season since his sophomore campaign in the NBA. The Washington Wizards haven't quite given him as prominent of a role as he had in years past, and as a result, his numbers have dipped considerably. He entered their Tuesday night clash against the Atlanta Hawks averaging just 16.5 points per game — the first time he's averaging fewer than 20 per night since the 2014-15 campaign.
But Tuesday night brought back the vintage version of McCollum. The Wizards veteran torched the Hawks to the tune of 46 points on 17-25 shooting from the field and an even more bonkers 10-13 from beyond the arc — playing far and away his best game of the season in leading his team to a 132-113 win over the Hawks.
After the game, McCollum outlined how hard he works on his game, resulting in this bonkers scoring night.
“Yeah, just keep swimming. I put a lot of time in. I sacrifice a lot of time away from my family to get in the gym at night,” McCollum told Meghan McPeak of Monumental Sports Network. “These results, they come in the dark. They come from hard work in the dark. A lot of sleepless nights trying to figure out how to really master my craft and be more consistent with my jumpshot.”
"Bub said it was all because of his pajama pants!" 😂
Despite the cozy @WashWizards giveaway, @CJMcCollum tells @meghanmcpeak his 40-point night came down to dedication and teamwork 🤞 pic.twitter.com/jgN9ScCXCo
— Monumental Sports Network (@MonSportsNet) November 26, 2025
McCollum has been one of the most consistent scorers in the NBA for over a decade now, and it looks like this game is going to mark a turning point for him as far as his Wizards tenure is concerned.
Wizards stop the bleeding thanks to a huge CJ McCollum performance
The Wizards entered their Tuesday night game against the Hawks having lost their past 14 games. This losing streak did not look like it was going to end anytime soon, but they managed to turn the tables on a Hawks team that's been playing well to stop the bleeding.
They now have a 2-15 record on the year, and they may not be done winning just yet. They are going to be facing the Indiana Pacers on Friday, which could be another one on the win column for them amid a putrid campaign from the reigning NBA Finals runner-up.
