No better time for Jalen Johnson’s breakthrough than Hawks’ Game 5

Without question, Jalen Johnson recognizes his shortcomings in his first playoff series as one of his team’s focal points.

Now he just has to deliver.

Through four games against the Knicks in the Hawks’ first-round NBA playoff series, the All-Star forward has been muted and less productive than he had been in his breakthrough regular season.

After playing his best game of the series in Game 3, Johnson was among a number of Hawks who were not ready for the Knicks’ urgency and physical style in Game 4, a 114-98 loss at State Farm Arena on Saturday that evened the series at 2-2.

Johnson contributed but 14 points and three rebounds in 35 minutes. The rebound total tied his regular-season low.

“We’ve just got to match that physicality,” he said Monday at the Hawks’ training complex before the team flew to New York for Tuesday night’s Game 5 in Madison Square Garden.

In Game 4, Johnson again was hesitant, particularly in looking for his 3-point shot. He could have been more aggressive in leading the fast break to help the Hawks score easier baskets than against the Knicks’ unyielding half-court defense.

“The biggest thing for him is to continue to attack, continue to be aggressive and attack,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said.

Johnson’s drop in play is evident in the numbers.

In the regular season, he averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists, possibly the greatest all-around individual season in club history.

In four games against the Knicks, he is averaging 19.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He has had his moments, but overall, it’s not been the same.

His shooting percentages are also off — 41.9% from the field (compared with 48.9% in the regular season) and 28.6% from 3-point range (35.2% during the season).

“You don’t want to get hung up on whether the ball goes in or not,” Snyder said. “He’s taken some really good shots. He’s made some, he’s missed some.”

Part of it is that Knicks forward Josh Hart is leading a relentless effort against Johnson. When Johnson has maneuvered past Hart to drive to the basket, he has typically found Knicks teammates sinking into the lane to impede him, not least 7-foot center Karl-Anthony Towns.

But part of it is on Johnson. This is his fifth NBA season but only his third in the playoffs and first in which he is a focal point both for his team and the opponent. The lack of experience has revealed itself.

“The physicality is much more intense (in the playoffs),” Johnson said. “(The referees) let a lot more stuff go. There’s not as many whistles blown.”

At the same time, he said he has been learning how to adjust his game for that environment, understanding where to pick his spots and to be more aggressive.

“Continue to find my teammates when they’re open and, if I got the rim, attack the rim strong,” he said. “Just got to play with more force.”

It sounded a lot like recognition of where he had fallen short in the first four games. Perhaps not coincidentally, it echoed Snyder’s “continue to be aggressive and attack” answer.

It feels like he’ll get there. He has the skills and he has shown flashes this series that he can handle the physicality. The difference is consistency.

And it would help, too, if NBA Most Improved Player Award winner Nickeil Alexander-Walker could step up his scoring, too. He has averaged 13.8 points against the Knicks compared with a career-high 20.8 during the season.

It’s just a question of whether Johnson can apply these lessons in these playoffs before it’s too late.