Jalen Johnson Scores 20 as Hawks Beat Pacers for Second Straight Road Win

Jalen Johnson sat out Thursday's preseason game in San Antonio. Two nights later in Indianapolis, he scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting.

The Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers 119-117 on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Atlanta is 2-1 in the preseason, and both wins have come on the road.

Johnson also had seven rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes. He went 2-of-2 from 3-point range and finished plus-8. He made his first All-Star team last season, when Atlanta went 46-36.

Onyeka Okongwu scored 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting and made all six of his free throws. He went 2-of-7 from deep and added three rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes.

Hawks coach Quin Snyder started Okongwu, Johnson, CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, and Luguentz Dort.

Saturday was Dort's first game with Atlanta. He missed the first two preseason games after arriving from Oklahoma City in a three-team trade that sent Zaccharie Risacher to the Dallas Mavericks.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, part of the projected starting five entering the preseason, did not play.

Indiana was without Tyrese Haliburton because of a right ankle issue. Haliburton missed all of last season after tearing his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, and Indiana finished 19-63. He returned in the Pacers' preseason opener, a win over Minnesota at Iowa State's Hilton Coliseum.

Indiana led 32-31 after one quarter. Atlanta put up 31 in the second for a 62-60 halftime lead.

The third quarter went to the Hawks, 34-26. They carried a 96-86 lead into the fourth.

Aaron Wiggins scored 13 points off the bench on 4-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range. Like Dort, he came to Atlanta from Oklahoma City this offseason, and he started Thursday's win at San Antonio.

CJ McCollum had 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 19 minutes. He went 7-of-7 at the line.

Atlanta made 28 of 30 free throws. Indiana went 24-of-32.

The Pacers shot 51.3% from the field and 44.1% from 3-point range. The Hawks shot 43.3% overall and went 13-of-45 from deep.

Atlanta grabbed 10 offensive rebounds, and Indiana had none.

Asa Newell did not check in until the second half. He finished with eight points, as did Jalen Wilson and Kingston Flemings.

On Thursday, Newell led Atlanta with 16 points, and Flemings, the eighth pick in the 2026 draft, had 15 points, five assists, and three steals in his hometown.

The Pacers scored 31 points in the fourth quarter.

Jay Huff had eight of them, including a 3-pointer. The game had 13 lead changes, and neither team led by more than 10.

With 52 seconds left, RayJ Dennis made two free throws. Zuby Ejiofor, the 23rd pick in the 2026 draft, dunked with 27.4 seconds remaining for a 118-114 lead.

Rienk Mast hit a 3-pointer with 20.3 seconds left to make it 118-117. Dennis split a pair of free throws at the 15.2-second mark for the final margin.

Kelly Oubre Jr. and Pascal Siakam scored 13 points apiece for Indiana, and Siakam added four assists. Ivica Zubac had 11 points and five rebounds.

Off the bench, Obi Toppin scored 11 on 5-of-8 shooting, and Jarace Walker had 10 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

Atlanta opened the preseason Oct. 5 with a 132-123 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies before winning 123-116 at San Antonio.

The Hawks host the Oklahoma City Thunder at State Farm Arena on Monday at 7 p.m. ET. They visit the Mavericks on Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. ET and open the regular season Oct. 21 at Orlando.