Jalen Johnson’s Near Triple-Double Leads Hawks Past Knicks

You won’t believe the near triple-double Jalen Johnson pulled off against the Knicks last night. This dude came to play, lighting up the scoreboard for 26 points on 12-17 shooting while crashing the boards for nine rebounds and dishing out seven dimes. Johnson was ballin’ out of control! But he wasn’t the only Hawk bringing the heat in New York. De’Andre Hunter caught fire too, torching the nets for 22 points on 9-14 from the field. And let’s not forget about Dejounte Murray either. He put up 21 points and was splashing threes left and right on his way to four made triples. Can we talk about Bey? Yes Saddiq Bey also had a strong outing against New York, scoring 17 points. While Clint Capela rounded off the scoring efforts with 13 points, 9 rebounds.

With this balanced attack and depth, the Hawks were able to overcome a slow start and pull away in the second half for a 16-point win.

Johnson’s Career Night Powers Hawks Past Knicks

The second year forward was extremely efficient, making 12 of 17 shots including two of three from three-point range in 38 minutes of action. Over the last month, Johnson has been on an absolute tear, averaging 18.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He’s emerged as a key contributor for the Hawks and has tons of potential to become a star in this league.

Johnson is putting up stats that place him in elite company. He’s one of only 10 players this season averaging at least 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists with a field goal percentage over 50%. If he maintains this pace, he’ll join Walt Bellamy, Josh Smith and Al Horford as just the fourth Hawk ever to achieve those marks in a single season.

The Hawks have to be thrilled with Johnson’s development this year. After a slower start to the season, he’s gained confidence and become a focal point of the offense. His ability to score efficiently at all three levels, clean the glass and create for teammates makes him a matchup nightmare for opponents. The future is bright for Johnson and the Hawks.

Next up : After a slow start to the season, the Hawks seem to have found their groove and will look to keep the momentum going against Cleveland at State Farm Arena. If Atlanta continue their balanced team attack and stout defense against a beatable Cavaliers squad, the home team should be able to emerge victorious again on Wednesday night.