The Atlanta Hawks returned home Thursday night, where they defeated the Utah Jazz 121-119.
The first game after the trade deadline is always an electric one. With most teams agreeing to deals either the day of or the night before, new acquisitions hardly ever suit up at the first possible opportunity.
Both Atlanta and Utah went through with several transactions, but were set to face the immediate consequences of not having their newly-acquired players. Each team entered this Thursday night matchup short-handed, but that wasn’t unfamiliar territory for either organization.
With their trades pending, the Hawks were without Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard. This wasn’t without some reinforcements, though. Jock Landale, the 30-year-old center Atlanta acquired from Memphis, was actually available to make his Hawks debut Thursday night.
If his numbers from this season so far were any indicator, bringing him in for practically nothing could wind up being the sneakiest move of the season. Before arriving in Atlanta, Landale was averaging 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game on 51.4% from the field and 38.0% from deep.
Well, one game into his Hawks tenure, and it appears those numbers will only go up.
His debut wasn't typical. Usually, a newly-acquired player sees a limited bench role as he gets acclimated to the system. Landale’s skillset clearly didn’t need much time to get adjusted, as he was immediately thrown into the starting lineup against Utah.
Jock Landale took full advantage of the opportunity
He wasted no time getting involved. Before he started raining threes, Landale made his impact felt elsewhere. Within the first few minutes, he'd already grabbed three offensive rebounds, immediately improving one of Atlanta's biggest weaknesses.
His first quarter was solid, contributing effective minutes on both ends of the floor, but it was really the second quarter when he began to break out. The big man went into the second frame with an aggressive offensive mindset, and it paid off.
In that quarter alone, Landale recorded 11 points, with most of them coming when he knocked down three consecutive triples. They weren't all open looks, either. Whether there was a hand in his face or not, he was letting it fly and making the defense pay.
Landale went into the half with a remarkable 17 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks on 6/8 from the field and 4/6 from deep. His early efficiency and confidence set the tone for the rest of the night.
While he was unable to replicate his dominant scoring effort in the second half, he was still wildly effective on both ends of the floor. Not getting as many open looks, he applied immense pressure on the boards, giving himself a double-double in his Hawks debut.
His biggest moment of the night came with under a minute to go, when he knocked down a clutch corner three to put the Hawks in front.
Jock Landale, ladies and gentlemen.
— Zach Langley (@langleyatl) February 6, 2026
CLUTCH three puts the Hawks in front.
28 seconds to go.
Landale finished the night with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks on 10/14 from the field and 5/8 from three. An unreal debut.
Every time he stepped onto the floor, momentum seemed to shift. Whether he was blocking shots or knocking down tough jumpers, his Atlanta debut was nothing short of excellent, signaling that he'll be an important piece in the rotation moving forward.