Jalen Johnson made franchise history with how he performed in the first half of the Atlanta Hawks' matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
Johnson is going through the fifth season of his NBA career, all with the Hawks. He has made strides into becoming a star player for the team, becoming active as a two-way on the wing.
His latest start against the Nuggets was historic for the team, per NBA insider Brett Siegel. He put together 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds throughout the first half of regulation.
“Hawks forward Jalen Johnson continues to add to his All-Star and All-NBA campaign with a first-half triple-double against the Nuggets: 11 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds. Johnson is the first player in franchise history with a triple-double in the first half,” Siegel wrote.
How Jalen Johnson, Hawks played against Nuggets
Despite Jalen Johnson's historic night, it wasn't enough for the Hawks as they lost to the Nuggets in a 134-133 nailbiter.
The Hawks had the upper hand on the Nuggets throughout the first half, boasting a 73-54 lead at halftime. However, they collapsed on defense after conceding 80 points in the second half, allowing Denver to come back and secure the road win.
Free throws and fast break points made the difference in this matchup. The Nuggets won in both categories after making 24 free throws and scoring 26 points on the fast break. It wasn't the same for the Hawks as they converted 15 shots at the line and produced 18 fast break points.
Six players scored in double-digits for Atlanta in the loss, including Johnson. He finished with a stat line of 21 points, 18 rebounds, 16 assists, and two steals. He shot 9-of-20 from the field, including 1-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the team in scoring with 30 points and five rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis came next with 25 points and two blocks, Dyson Daniels had 15 points and eight assists, Vit Krejci put up 15 points while Onyeka Okongwu provided 13 points and six rebounds.
Atlanta fell to a 13-11 record on the season, holding the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are 2.5 games above the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls while trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers by 0.5 games.
The Hawks will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being on the road. They face the Washington Wizards on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. ET.
