Jaylen Johnson goes up for a thunderous dunk against the Warriors
Jalen Johnson continues to grow for Atlanta Hawks— literally and figuratively.
The Hawks trade Trae Young to the Washington Wizards signaled that Johnson was now the face of the franchise.
On Sunday, he led the Hawks to their third straight victory after defeating the Golden State Warriors, 124-111, at the Chase Center. Johnson recorded 23 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two blocks.
Then he had a top game flying in for a huge dunk in the second quarter, which delighted the audience.
Did that remind you of Dominique Wilkins or what? Or maybe Josh Smith?
The high-flying Johnson is having a breakout campaign and could earn his first All-Star Game nods. He is averaging career highs of 23.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.2 assists to go along with 1.3 steals. He also recorded several triple-doubles, showing his much-improved versatility.
Johnson had a coming-out party last season when he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in January. He played in only 36 games.
Now he’s back with a vengeance as he continues to prove he’s worth every penny of the five-year, $150 million contract extension he signed in 2024.
24 year old Johnson is at the forefront of the Hawks’ vision for the future. As he makes the jump, along with Dyson Daniels, Nickil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta will be a problem in the league for years to come.
Alexander-Walker had a team-high 24 points and three steals against the Warriors. Daniels added 11 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, while Okongwu had 18 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
The Hawks will look for their fourth straight win when they play the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
2026-01-12 04:39:00
