The Atlanta Hawks passed their back-to-back test with flying colors, as they secured a 113-110 home win against the Charlotte Hornets yesterday, thanks to a crucial stop late in the contest.
At 112-110 with 11.3 seconds left, Kon Knueppel drove into the lane looking to score the game-tying layup for the Charlotte Hornets. However, Nickeil Alexander-Walker stole the ball, prompting Jalen Johnson to rave about the Atlanta Hawks’ improving defense.
“We got some elite defenders on this team,” Johnson said via ClutchPoints’ Malik Brown. “Dyson (Daniels) and Nickeil (Alexander-Walker) are the head of the snake on defense. Nickeil just made a big play at the end. It’s going to be tough to score on him in isolation like that. It was a big stop.”
“It’s what we pride ourselves on here, our defense,” Daniels said. “Getting stops, getting out and running, that’s how we want to play. When we’re able to do that, we’re going to be alright on the offensive end.”
Atlanta Hawks News: Jalen Johnson hits incredible statistical feat in win vs. Charlotte Hornets
Jalen Johnson, fresh from winning the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award, continues to step up for his team. Last night, the former 20th overall pick contributed 28 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists on 11-for-22 shooting in 40 minutes of action.
According to beat writer Kevin Chouinard, Johnson became the first player in NBA history to have at least 350 points, 150 rebounds, and 110 assists through his first 16 regular season games.
The Atlanta Hawks also received meaningful contributions from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and Keaton Wallace, who had 23, 22, 20, and 10 points, respectively.
