Jalen Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks won't be going 82-0 this season.
After a triumphant 2-0 start to the year, as soon as they returned to State Farm Arena for their home opener, they suffered their first defeat. It was inevitable. The team they lost to - the Houston Rockets - is a pretty talented squad, as well.
Sometimes, losses even as early as this one can derail a group. Momentum is sometimes at play for a strong start to a year. Atlanta's cohesiveness, however, doesn't appear to be just a small part of what they're building. Johnson's comments after the loss prove exactly that.
Johnson said out loud what many were thinking
In his media availability after the 114-121 home defeat, Johnson calmed down a prevailing narrative:
"It's game three. We're not going to overreact."
It would be silly to steer course after one loss. The way Atlanta controlled their prior two opponents shouldn't be forgotten. Those wins were too encouraging for a close loss to a Western Conference contender to take them off their path.
Plus, even though Johnson didn't mention it or use it as an excuse, it was the second night of a back to back for Atlanta. They defeated the Charlotte Hornets by 47 points just 24 hours earlier.
They weren't alone in this struggle, however, as the Rockets played the night before as well. Still, it's a new season, and early-year fatigue is real. It's undoubtedly an uptick from offseason intensity.
Despite the loss, Johnson had himself a night.
In a team-high 38 minutes of action, Atlanta's star forward recorded 26 points, nine rebounds, 16 assists and two steals. He had his first offensive breakout of the season in the Hawks' loss to the Rockets.
Moving forward, he and the team will need to apply the same mentality. They can't be afraid of growing pains in pursuit of the bigger picture.
Atlanta has a perfect opportunity for revenge in their next one
Responding to an underwhelming defeat to the Rockets with a win over the same team would be incredible for the morale of both the team and fanbase.
Their next game will be in Houston on Monday night for yet another battle with the Western Conference contender.
If Johnson can showcase similar production to his first outing against them, the rest of the team likely won't shoot as poorly as they did on Friday, and Atlanta should walk away with a win.
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