Despite a triple-double, Jalen Johnson declares his play "terrible." The Hawks must regroup after a crushing home loss to the Heat.
The Atlanta Hawks opened their homestand Friday night with a 128-97 loss to the Miami Heat at State Farm Arena, as Miami used a dominant second half to pull away and secure the 31-point victory.
Atlanta received a balanced scoring effort, highlighted by Jalen Johnson’s 16-point, 16-rebound, 11-assist performance. Onyeka Okongwu paced the Hawks with 22 points, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum added 20 points apiece. Despite the individual production, the Hawks were unable to sustain momentum against a Heat team that capitalized on transition opportunities and extended runs after halftime.
The Hawks competed through stretches of the first half and briefly narrowed the deficit to single digits in the third quarter. However, Miami responded with a decisive 13-5 run late in the period, sparked by consecutive baskets from Jaime Jaquez Jr. The Heat extended the lead to 20 and continued to build separation in the fourth quarter. Head coach Erik Spoelstra removed his starters with 3:11 remaining and Miami ahead by 27.
Following the game, Johnson addressed his performance and the team’s collective focus moving forward.
“I don’t really care for no triple-double. I played terrible tonight, just my opinion,” Johnson said. “I just got to be better, and I just got to be better for my teammates.”
Johnson emphasized the importance of regrouping during the extended homestand.
“But we have another chance on Sunday to regroup and hopefully string together some wins,” Johnson said. “We’re home for quite a long stretch. So chances are right in front of us, we just got to go out there and get it.”
McCollum pointed to execution and preparation as key factors in the outcome.
“I would like to go to sleep before 3 am last night, but they beat us. It is what it is,” McCollum said. “They came out. They played better as they came out. They executed better than us. They got points in transition. They got threes, they got rim pressure right to back or not. They did enough.”
Johnson, a first-time All-Star this season, continues to deliver across the stat sheet. Through 52 games this season, he is averaging 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 8.2 assists while shooting 49.4% from the field and 34.7% from three-point range. Selected 20th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Johnson has emerged as a prominent figure in Atlanta’s offensive system during his fourth NBA season.
The Hawks will return to action Sunday when they host the Brooklyn Nets at State Farm Arena, seeking to respond and build momentum during a lengthy home stretch.