Jalen Johnson: ‘I’ll be better going forward’ after Hawks’ playoff exit

The Hawks’ blowout loss to the Knicks on Thursday did not sit well with forward Jalen Johnson and the team. Even a few hours after the defeat, the sting left Johnson’s mind reeling.

“Just sucks,” the 24-year-old said in his end-of-season media availability Friday. “I think that’s the best way to sum it up. It sucks. It’s a terrible feeling. It’s not the way you want the series to end, of course.

“And (it’s) just a lot of fuel going into the next season, a lot of fuel going into the offseason for everybody, and we’re going to make sure this never happens again, we never get this type of feeling again, just a sick feeling to our stomach.”

The Hawks understand that the blowout loss does not encapsulate all they accomplished this season. But it served as a glaring reminder they have a lot more work to do before they can contend for a championship.

For Johnson, that begins with a deep study of the film after taking some time to mentally shift from the end to the season.

“As hard as it is gonna be to watch, it’s something I need to continue to grow and continue to be the best version of myself,” Johnson said. “And I’m gonna take a lot away from this, just growing-wise, and I’ll be better going forward.”

Johnson was an All-Star this season and could earn All-NBA honors after averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists in 72 games. He shot 35.2% from 3-point range. But he struggled to translate what worked for him in the regular season into playoff success.