Jalen Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks soared across the West Coast, collecting four wins while also learning from each other. The young core has demonstrated signs of progress in every victory and, more importantly, a resilient attitude.
Fans and pundits were skeptical of the Hawks after losing Trae Young in the fifth game of the season against the Brooklyn Nets. The Hawks are 7-2 since Young injured his MCL at the Barclays Center.
Not having their star point guard has its pros and cons, but their transition defense has improved significantly. It’s a result of their defensive communication and execution with their new roster. Without Trae, the Hawks boast the second-best defense in the league and a top-10 offense.
It was evident in their decimation of the Los Angeles Lakers 122-102 with six key players absent. Head Coach Quin Snyder did an excellent job of utilizing the Hawks' length and making the Lakers uncomfortable with their physical play.
Dyson Daniels held superstar point guard Luka Dončić to 22 points. The MVP candidate shot 7-17 from the field and turned the ball over five times.
It set the tone for their road trip, and they boarded the private jet for a matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers. They survived a dogfight in the Inuit Dome, winning 105-102, and the upset victory gave them momentum heading up to Sacramento.
Domantas Sabonis and the Kings have struggled since losing their centerpiece, De'Aaron Fox, and are currently ranked 14th in the Western Conference. The 3x NBA All-Star averages 17.2 points & 12.3 rebounds per game, but the Hawks obliterated them 133-100.
The Atlanta Hawks Have Finally Found their Identity
The dominant victory signaled a culture shift happening in Atlanta’s locker room. In previous seasons, the Hawks played at the level of their competition, but they have now found their own identity as an offensive powerhouse, with strong perimeter defense.
Once again, seven Hawks finished in double figures, led by Johnson, who scored a game-high 24 points along with 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Head Coach and Kings’ legend, Doug Christie, had no answer for the rising star.
Johnson has completely taken the reins as the Hawks’ offensive engine with Young out, and he followed up his performance in Sacramento with a coming-out party in Utah. He finished with 31 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists, and 7 steals in a 132-122 win over the Jazz.
Onyeka Okongwu was right behind him with 32 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, and a career-high eight three-pointers. The frontcourt explosion put the Hawks on notice, and ESPN NBA Reporter Malika Andrews interviewed Johnson on NBA Today from his hotel room in Phoenix the morning after his historic performance.
Andrews asked Johnson, “How are you able to impact the game in so many ways?”
To which Johnson replied: “I think the main thing is that I do whatever it takes to win, whatever the game calls for me to do, I take pride in,” Johnson said. “Whether that's passing, scoring, defending, whatever it may look like, it may look different each night, but the main thing is, I just wanna help my team win.”
And Jalen did just that in the next game against the Suns, but he wasn't the only Hawk to finish with 25 or more. Okongwu had another spectacular night with 27 points, but the hero of the evening was Nickeil Alexander-Walker. He scored 26 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, with a crucial four-point play.
They defeated the Suns 124-122 in a late-night thriller, completing a 4-0 sweep on the West Coast. The 2025-26 Hawks are the first roster in the history of this franchise to accomplish this. Walker credited the comeback to their resilience and brotherhood after Hawks’ forward Zaccharie Risacher suffered a left hip contusion while scoring a crucial basket during their pivotal 19-0 run.
As the Hawks return to Atlanta to face Cade Cunningham and the surging Detroit Pistons (11-2), they do so with renewed confidence. They’ve overcome All-NBA talent and comeback victories to extend their win streak.
It was a valuable team-building experience for the third-youngest team in the NBA, as they gear up for a star-studded 12-game gauntlet in December.