Atlanta Hawks star forward Jalen Johnson did it all during Thursday’s 132-122 road victory over the Utah Jazz, leading his shorthanded squad in the absence of Trae Young (knee).
Johnson turned heads with an absurd, never-before-seen stat line, prompting NBA fans to crown him the new face of the Hawks.
NBA Fans Erupt After Jalen Johnson’s Historic Night
Johnson tallied career highs of 31 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists, seven steals, and four 3-pointers, nearly recording a quadruple-double as Atlanta’s primary offensive initiator. The standout performance marked the 23-year-old’s third career triple-double and his first of the season.
Most impressively, Johnson became the first player ever to reach all of those numbers in a single game.
The Hawks’ win marked their fourth straight with Young sidelined due to a sprained MCL in his right knee. They are now 6-2 without the ball-dominant four-time All-Star, in contrast to their modest 2-3 start with him available.
Atlanta made an NBA season-high 24 triples against Utah, including a franchise record 15 3-pointers in the first half, finishing a blistering 24-for-47 from downtown (51.1%). Meanwhile, it racked up 36 assists, with Johnson and Co. sharing the rock all night, helping the Hawks prevail despite surrendering an 18-point first-half lead.
Following Johnson’s historic, well-rounded performance, fans took to X to praise the first-time All-Star hopeful.
“This dude really a young goat man,” one fan said.
“What a f*cking statline take a bow Jalen Johnson,” another added.
“2nd best forward in the east,” one user proclaimed.
Additionally, others called for Atlanta to move on from Young and fully embrace its bigger, more athletic lineups with increased ball movement.
“Hawks better without Trae. Trae getting traded,” one fan remarked.
“Trae young we good Jalen Johnson is here,” another quipped.
“Trade trae and build around him he’s insane,” one user urged.
“Trae is obviously holding this team back,” one more chimed in.
Johnson’s two-way impact allowed the Hawks to overcome Jazz star forward Lauri Markkanen’s game-high 40-point performance on 15-for-25 shooting (60%). With the win, they moved into a tie with the Cleveland Cavaliers (8-5) for the Eastern Conference’s fourth-best record.
Young is set to miss at least another couple of weeks, as it was reported on Nov. 1 that he would be re-evaluated in four weeks. That will give Atlanta’s front office a considerable sample size to determine whether the team is better off without its longtime franchise cornerstone.
The Hawks (8-5) will look to stay hot and capture their fifth straight victory during Sunday’s clash against the surging Phoenix Suns (8-5), the final outing of their four-game road trip.