Johnson's historic triple-double and clutch performances ignited the Hawks' perfect West Coast sweep, extending their winning streak to five games.
Jalen Johnson has been named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week after leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 4–0 West Coast road trip and helping extend the team’s winning streak to five games.
Johnson averaged 24.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 60.3% from the field, 57.1% from 3-point range and 78.3% at the line. The Hawks swept a West Coast trip of at least four games for the first time since the 1970–71 season.
Atlanta’s comeback win in Phoenix on Nov. 16 capped the trip, with Johnson finishing with 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in a 124–122 victory. The Hawks trailed 103–81 with 9:50 remaining before outscoring the Suns 47–27 in the fourth quarter. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 16 of his 26 points in the period, including a four-point play that cut the deficit to one with 3:17 left.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder said “Zacch got us going,” noting Zaccharie Risacher’s early fourth-quarter steals before he exited with a fall. Snyder added that Alexander-Walker “loves to compete” and praised Atlanta’s paint pressure and ball movement during the rally.
Johnson’s week also included a historic performance in a 132–122 win at Utah on Nov. 13, when he posted career highs of 31 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists and seven steals. He became the first NBA player since steals were recorded in 1973-74 to reach those marks in a single game and only the seventh player to record a 30-point, seven-steal triple-double.
He opened the trip with 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a 105–102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, then followed with 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a 133–100 win over Sacramento on Nov. 12. According to Elias Sports, he became the first player this season to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in fewer than 25 minutes and just the second player in league history to do so while shooting at least 90% from the field.
Atlanta averaged 123.5 points, 40.0 rebounds, 35.8 assists and 12.5 steals across the four victories and posted the league’s fourth-best defensive rating (108.8) over the week. The Hawks have recorded at least 30 assists in five straight games, tying the longest streak in franchise history.
Through 12 games, Johnson is averaging career highs of 21.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists on 58.7% shooting. He is one of five players averaging at least 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists this season, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Alperen Sengun and Josh Giddey.
The Hawks return home to host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.