Johnson’s second straight triple-double boosts Hawks over Wizards

Johnson became the first Hawk to have a triple-double on back-to-back nights since Bob Sura in 2004.

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson notched his fourth triple-double of the season in a win over the Wizards on Saturday, tying him with Bill Bridges for most in a single season in Hawks history. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

By Lauren Williams

2 hours ago

The Hawks took care of business on the road once again with a 131-116 win over the Wizards at Capital One Arena on Saturday.

After recording a triple-double in the first half of their loss to the Nuggets on Friday, Hawks forward Jalen Johnson picked up where he left off and recorded the sixth of his career.

It’s Johnson’s fourth triple-double this season, tying Bill Bridges (1969-70) for the most triple-doubles in a single season in Hawks history.

It helped the Hawks to a 10th win on the road this season.

The Hawks have played the most games of the season, so far. They’ve suited up for 25 games, with 15 of them coming on the road.

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Quick stats: Johnson finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists.

Onyeka Okongwu finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Vit Krejci gave the Hawks a punch off the bench, especially in the fourth quarter. Krejci made a pair of 3s that stunted the Wizards’ second-half rally. He had 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from 3.

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Key moment

There’s no denying that Johnson has become one of the Hawks’ most important players over the last two years. This season, Johnson has been an engine for the Hawks with so much of the team’s offense flowing through him.

With the Hawks looking to get out in transition, Johnson’s propensity to crash the glass and get the ball out has played a key role in that.

Johnson dished his 10th assist with 4:18 to play in the third quarter, getting the ball into Dyson Daniels’ hands for a layup. He grabbed his 10th rebound just over a minute later.

He became the second player in franchise history to record a triple-double on back-to-back nights, the other being Bob Sura April 9-10, 2004, per Elias Sports Bureau.

Highlight play

Hawks rookie Asa Newell has played spotty minutes this season with plenty of veterans ahead of him in the rotation. But when he checks into the game, the Hawks can always count on him to hustle and bring the energy.

With Kristaps Porzingis out Saturday because of “return to competition conditioning,” Newell got the nod to bolster the Hawks’ frontcourt.

Newell scored nine points in his first five minutes, hitting a couple of layups off feeds from Daniels. Then Newell sank a wide-open 3 from the right wing. Then Newell scored a put back in a crowd of Wizards defenders.

What they said

“My teammates and coaches allow me to be myself. They gave me the most confidence in the world. So I don’t know if it wasn’t for them. I don’t know if I’d be performing like this. To have that trust and respect from your teammates. That means everything in this league.” — Johnson, via the FanDuel Sports broadcast, on having triple-doubles in back-to-back games.