Hawks' Jalen Johnson reaches stats never touched in history of NBA basketball

Billy Heyen

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Hawks' Jalen Johnson reaches stats never touched in history of NBA basketball image

Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis were out.

That meant Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson was pushed fully into the spotlight for their Thursday game against the Utah Jazz.

Johnson didn't mind the added attention. He simply went out and put up a stat line never before done in the history of the NBA, per StatMuse.

Those stats:

  • 31 points
  • 18 rebounds
  • 14 assists
  • 7 steals
  • 4-for-5 from 3

The rebounds, assists and steals were all career highs for Johnson, all coming in the same game.

The firepower worked out, as the Hawks won 132-122.

It's a really good road win for shorthanded Atlanta, which improved to 8-5 on the season.

Johnson has made steady improvements in his NBA career, but this was a whole new level. He showed off every aspect of his game, over and over again, in a way he never really had before.

The passing and defense in particular were massive leaps that Johnson made right when the Hawks needed him to.

They'll know now that if Johnson has to be the main option on a given night, he's more than capable of carrying the load.

And on this particularly special night, Johnson showed out in a performance that wouldn't soon be forgotten.

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News Correspondent