Jalen Johnson powers Hawks past 76ers with 32 points. Atlanta claims the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference ahead of an important home stand.
The Atlanta Hawks opened the second half of their season with a 117-107 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night, moving back within striking distance in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The victory lifted Atlanta to 27-30 overall and 17-15 away from home, a notable mark for a team that has struggled to find consistency. With 10 of their next 11 games set to be played at State Farm Arena, the Hawks now face a pivotal stretch that could define their postseason hopes.
Fresh off his All-Star appearance, Jalen Johnson powered the win with 32 points and 10 rebounds, repeatedly attacking the paint and living at the free-throw line when his jumper wasn’t falling. He finished 9 of 22 from the field but compensated by converting 14 of 16 free throws, setting the tone for an aggressive offensive approach.
After the game, Johnson emphasized the group’s collective belief as the season enters its final push.
“I know the guys in that locker room, the coaching staff and everybody," said Johnson after the game. "We believe in one another. So if we continue to believe in one another, I think we’ll make a good push.”
Johnson’s efficiency from the field fluctuated, but his ability to draw contact helped Atlanta control tempo. The Hawks finished with 31 made free throws, consistently pressuring a Philadelphia team that was without Joel Embiid (right shin soreness) and Paul George (suspension).
The other four Hawks starters — Zaccharie Risacher, Onyeka Okongwu, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker — combined for 47 points. Atlanta offset that imbalance with second-chance opportunities and timely bench production.
“It’s always good to win,” coach Quin Snyder said. “Christmas, All-Star break, first game, home game, road game, wins just don’t come easy.”
Snyder said his team’s focus wavered briefly but recovered down the stretch.
“I think the way we played, we put some time in and thought our guys were focused,” he said. “We lost our concentration a little bit with some stuff we can’t control, but we got it back.”
Risacher finished with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting in 27 minutes and provided a key spark early in the third quarter. After Onyeka Okongwu’s 3-point attempt hit the front rim, Risacher slipped past his defender, secured the offensive rebound and delivered a two-handed putback dunk to push Atlanta ahead 68-59. He followed with a 3-pointer during a brief scoring burst that helped stabilize momentum.
Snyder praised that activity on the glass.
“I thought Zacch was terrific going (to the glass),” Snyder said. “You either have a great offensive rebounder, or you swarm and make it hard for them. They can’t block everybody out. It’s something that they do very well and those plays give you a lift.”
The Hawks appeared in control when Risacher’s second putback dunk extended the lead to 108-94 with 5:12 remaining. But the 76ers responded with a second-chance basket from Andre Drummond and a quick layup by rookie VJ Edgecombe, trimming the margin and forcing Snyder to call consecutive timeouts.
CJ McCollum, who added 23 points off the bench, said the key during that stretch was composure.
“Just making the right plays, that’s the biggest thing,” McCollum said. “Make the right plays over and over again, and don’t fret, no. Speed up. Understand that it’s a long game, and teams are gonna go on runs.”
Dyson Daniels pointed to the defensive plan against Tyrese Maxey, who led Philadelphia with 27 points, and Edgecombe, who added 20.
“They both like play well off each other,” Daniels said. “They’re just really good players. They’re quick. They can shoot it, really everything in their game. And, it’s trying to slow down guys like them as a team effort. Got to be shifted, but we got to be good at the point of attack, really trying to keep them out of the paint, making him take tough twos, tough step-back threes. And I thought we did that tonight.”
With Charlotte’s loss to Houston, Atlanta moved back into ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks, 10-15 at home this season, now return to State Farm Arena for five straight games — a stretch that could determine whether Thursday’s momentum becomes something more sustainable.