Jalen Johnson hands out 16 assists against the Rockets and is averaging a triple-double: ‘We’re not going to overreact’

Jalen Johnson handed out 16 assists, matching his career high, and added 26 points and 9 rebounds in the Atlanta Hawks‘ 121-114 home-opening loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday, October 24. He came one rebound short of a triple-double, and after three games he is averaging one anyway: 21.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists.

The loss was Atlanta’s first of the season, and Johnson did not treat it as a warning sign. “It’s game three. We’re not going to overreact,” he said afterward, as quoted by Right Down Peachtree.

Game Center: Rockets at Hawks, box score and play-by-play

A point forward’s night

Johnson played 38 minutes, more than any other Hawk, and the offense ran through him from the opening tip. Atlanta finished with 34 assists on 43 field goals, and nearly half of them came from Johnson. He turned the ball over only twice, went 8-of-19 from the floor and made 8 of his 10 free throws.

The setup was there; the finishing was not. Atlanta made 13 of 48 three-point attempts, 27 percent, and Johnson’s own 2-of-7 from deep fits a pattern: he is shooting about 14 percent from three this season. Houston led for more than 42 minutes, built the lead to 20 and held off a late Atlanta push that cut it to five. Kevin Durant scored 22 for the Rockets, and Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason added 19 apiece.

Three games, three full stat lines

Johnson has reached at least 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in every game. He opened with 20 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists in the 132-125 win at Orlando, then had 19, 7 and 8 in the 128-81 rout of Charlotte, the biggest win in franchise history. Last season he averaged 7.9 assists; this season he is the Hawks’ primary playmaker in everything but name, with CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels finishing what he creates.

Three games is a small sample, and 10 assists a night is hard to sustain over a full season. But the shape of Atlanta’s offense is already clear, and it starts with the ball in Johnson’s hands.

What comes next

The Hawks get an immediate rematch: Atlanta visits Houston on Monday, October 26, at 8:30 pm ET, with the Rockets trying to stay unbeaten.

Game Center: Hawks at Rockets