Jock Landale drops 26 points, and Jalen Johnson records another triple-double as Hawks snatch nail-biter win over the Jazz
The Atlanta Hawks acquired center Jock Landale in a trade, technically with the Utah Jazz, for cash considerations ahead of the NBA trade deadline. In the Hawks' 121-119 victory over the Utah Jazz, Landale had a career night.
He scored a game-high 26 points on five three-pointers, which is a career-high for Landale. He also added 11 rebounds and four blocks, playing a huge role in Onyeka Okongwu's absence. Landale had played all his games this season with the Memphis Grizzlies, but was traded twice this week, first to the Jazz, and then to the Hawks.
The circumstances surrounding Landale’s arrival added another layer to his debut performance, as he prioritized getting to Atlanta as quickly as possible to be available.
“They obviously offered to fly me in the following morning, but I kind of said, you know, if I’m looking to play that next night, I want to get there as soon as possible,” Landale said. “So, (I) loaded up the truck and hit the road for five and a half hours.”
The Hawks did not enjoy the services of Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield in this game, and Gabe Vincent (acquired from the Lakers) also did not play.
Atlanta improved to 26-27 in a nail-biter win over the Jazz, but a much-needed win at that over a Utah team that is at the bottom of the Western Conference.
Jalen Johnson had another triple-double, and this time it featured 22 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists. A rare 15, 15, 15+ performance for Johnson in all statistical categories. Johnson joined Nikola Jokic as the only NBA player since 2020 to have multiple 20/15/15 games in a season.
This game came down to the final minute, where Landale hit a clutch three, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit a huge go-ahead bucket with one second left to play in regulation. Atlanta would wind up forcing a miss on the Jazz's final possession to win the game. NAW ended with 23 points.
For Landale, the opportunity to play such a prominent role on short notice stood out as much as the stat line itself.
“I think any time you’ve got a team that kind of puts trust in you on short notice, like that, it says volumes about them,” Landale said after the game.
Alexander-Walker’s late-game heroics reflected a broader trend in his evolving role within Quin Snyder’s system, particularly in high-leverage moments.
“All that I’ve been through in my career, it’s really cool to finally work to gain that trust from somebody,” Alexander-Walker said. “In late game, playing with Ant (Anthony Edwards), playing with guys like B.I. (Brandon Ingram), Donovan (Mitchell), Zion (Williamson), like so many guys that had the ball late-game and were trusted to make plays, to go out there and honestly, like, carrying a team and in a possession, so to speak, or whatever, for sure. And for me, it’s really cool, because I work for those moments.”
Four Hawks (Johnson, Landale, Corey Kispert, and Alexander-Walker) scored 20+ points in this contest that featured 20+ lead changes.
Atlanta went on a strong run to end the game, which is ultimately why the Hawks ended up winning this game.
It's worth mentioning that Zaccharie Risacher's spot in the starting lineup may be in jeopardy after a 0-point performance. He took eight shots and didn't make a single one. It will be interesting to see if the Hawks opt to use Kuminga in a starting role going forward after Risacher's struggles.
It wasn't a great defensive effort for the Hawks, but Atlanta ends up one game closer to the .500 mark as the All-Star break approaches.
The Hawks have just three games left until the break, but Landale's spark and Johnson and Alexander-Walker are giving Atlanta momentum in the NBA standings.