Former Duke basketball forward delivers another statement effort

Jalen Johnson, who played for Duke basketball point guard in Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder’s third year in the late 1980s, is shining in his fourth season as a pro. The just 22-year-old, who left Durham and returned to his home state of Wisconsin about halfway through the Blue Devils’ subpar 2020-21 season, is clearly determined to build on his breakthrough performance in the last round.

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When Johnson led the Hawks (4-5) to a 121-116 home win over the New York Knicks (3-4) on Wednesday night, he recorded his second double-double in a row and his fifth in a row with 23 points and 15 rebounds 39 minutes on the floor this season.

He added seven assists and a block and shot 10 of 18 from the field, including a 3 of 6 clip from three.

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After increasing his scoring average from 5.6 points per game in 2022-23 to 16.0 last season, Jalen Johnson is now averaging an impressive 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.3 Assists and 1.6 steals for 2024-25 Atlanta squad.

Johnson, Snyder and the Hawks will look to record their first consecutive wins since the first two games of the season when they play the Detroit Pistons (3-6) on the road, including Johnson’s former Duke basketball teammate as a reserve guard and third-year pro Wendell Moore Jr., on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

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