…’ We wouldn’t have won without Okongwu’ – Jalen Johnson
Onyeka Okongwu scored a career-high 32 points to propel the Atlanta Hawks to a 132–122 victory over the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center.
Atlanta were without key players, including star guard Trae Young (right knee MCL sprain), center Kristaps Porzingis (rest), and Nikola Đurišić (right elbow sprain). However, Okongwu, Jalen Johnson, and Vít Krejčí stepped up with standout performances to carry the team to an impressive win.
It was a night to remember for Okongwu, who posted a double-double with a career-best 32 points, including an outstanding 8-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc, along with 11 rebounds, three blocks, two steals, and two assists. Jalen Johnson delivered a monstrous triple-double of 31 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists, and seven steals.
Vít Krejčí added 20 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 16, while Luke Kennard and Zaccharie Risacher contributed 12 and 11 points respectively.
More Read
For the Jazz, Lauri Markkanen shone with a game-high 40 points, but his effort wasn’t enough to secure the win. Ace Bailey added 21 points, Keyonte George had 19, Jusuf Nurkić recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Isaiah Collier posted 10 points off the bench.
Reacting to the win, Johnson described it as a huge result considering the key absences and praised Okongwu’s clutch shooting.
“My guy (Okongwu) came up big time with those threes. Without him, we definitely wouldn’t have won the game. It was a hell of a game. We needed this win. We all came ready to play, and that was huge.”
It was a perfect night for the Hawks as they extended their winning streak to four games. They will aim to make it five on the road when they face the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
