The Atlanta Hawks will be without their offensive engine on the second night of a back-to-back.
Star forward Jalen Johnson was ruled out for Saturday’s contest against the Golden State Warriors due to left shoulder inflammation, the team announced.
Johnson, 24, has emerged into one of the NBA’s brightest rising stars, averaging 22.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and eight assists per game in his fifth season.
The first-time All-Star has led Atlanta to a 38–32 record and the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. With Johnson in the driver’s seat, the Hawks recently rattled off 11 straight victories — their longest winning streak in over a decade.
Their heater came to an end Friday night in Houston, where the Rockets cruised to a 22-point rout.
Atlanta is just 2–5 without Johnson this season. The team will likely lean on recently acquired veteran CJ McCollum, alongside first-year Hawk Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who’s averaging 20.4 points per game amid a breakout campaign.
Jonathan Kuminga, acquired from Golden State at the trade deadline, is off the injury report and could get the nod to start against his former team.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. Atlanta remains an 8.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Warriors — without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and others — sit as a +300 underdog. The total is set at 227.5 points.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
