Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is questionable for Monday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies with left shoulder inflammation.
Atlanta Hawks star Jalen Johnson did not play Saturday and remains questionable for Monday's home game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to left shoulder inflammation.
Johnson missed Saturday's 126-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors. It was his first game out this month. The Hawks had won 11 straight before a loss in Houston on Friday, and Johnson had been playing through that entire run.
The Hawks won without him. Mouhamed Gueye started in Johnson's place and shot 6-of-6 from the floor, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Dyson Daniels matched his career high with 28 points, and CJ McCollum added 23 as Atlanta extended its home winning streak to 10 games.
Johnson is averaging 22.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.0 assists in 63 games this season while shooting 49.3 percent from the floor. He is logging 35.2 minutes per game and has totaled 1,432 points, 653 rebounds, and 507 assists on the year. He fell one assist short of his 14th triple-double of the season in Wednesday's win over Dallas.
If Johnson is unable to play on Monday, Jonathan Kuminga is the likely candidate to enter the starting lineup. Kuminga played his first game against the Warriors on Saturday since being tradedbut struggled, finishing with two points on 1-of-9 shooting in 18 minutes off the bench.
Snyder relied on Gueye in the second half on Saturday and said after the game that he trusts him in that defensive role. Gueye's 6-of-6 shooting performance was not something the coaching staff took for granted.
Atlanta (39-32) needs every win possible, holding the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, one game behind the Toronto Raptors for fifth and ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, who share the same record and sit seventh. The Hawks own the tiebreaker over Philadelphia.
Monday's game against the Grizzlies features an opponent that has lost 10 of its last 11 games. Afterward, Atlanta plays road games against Detroit and Boston, which will be a test before the team returns home to face Sacramento.
Johnson's status will have implications beyond Monday. Atlanta has played its best basketball with him on the floor, and the Hawks cannot afford to stumble in games they should win with a playoff spot still to be secured.
Atlanta hosts Memphis at 7:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena on the FanDuel Sports Network Southeast.