The most shocking stat from Wednesday night’s loss isn’t the final score. It is that Atlanta was actually better when its star forward, Jalen Johnson, sat on the bench. The Hawks lost 129-117 to the Miami Heat, but the numbers show the team’s offense and defense both improved the moment Johnson left the floor.
Per Sports Illustrated, Atlanta’s offensive rating jumped nearly 64 points when Johnson was not playing. The defensive rating also improved by nearly 13 points. This is a rare and ugly truth for a fan base that wants to see their top players shine. Johnson finished with 12 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds, yet he was a team-worst minus-23 in his minutes. The Heat used that gap to push past Atlanta.
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Rookie Shines While Stars Stumble
While the veterans struggled, rookie Kingston Flemings stepped up as the only bright spot. He scored 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting and even closed out the game for the Hawks. Flemings grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists in a performance that earned him the trust of coach Quin Snyder. This was the game fans had been waiting for from the young guard.
Per ESPN, Nickeil Alexander-Walker also had a solid night with 23 points. He hit 5-for-9 from three-point range to help keep the Hawks in the fight. But the rest of the starting lineup could not match that effort. CJ McCollum scored 13 points but failed to make an impact on the glass or in playmaking. The starters as a group simply could not stop Miami’s attack.
Paint Defense Is a Total Bust
The Heat won the battle on the boards by a wide margin of 52-40. Miami scored a massive 70 points in the paint, exposing a major weakness in Atlanta’s frontcourt. Per Sports Illustrated, the Hawks centers, Onyeka Okongwu and Jock Landale, got outmuscled all night long. Okongwu battled foul trouble and only shot 1-for-3 from deep while Landale finished with 10 points and six rebounds.
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With 24 points and 18 rebounds, Giannis Antetokounmpo secured his first victory for the Heat. Bam Adebayo added 24 points and nine rebounds for Miami. The Heat shot 53 percent from the field and dominated the interior. Atlanta has no physical presence inside and lacks rim protection to stop these big men from scoring at will.
Three Losses in a Row
This defeat marks the third straight loss for the Hawks, leaving them with a 2-3 record. The team opened the season with two wins but has now faced real adversity. According to ESPN, the Thursday matchup versus Cleveland at State Farm Arena was delayed by an hour to accommodate the WNBA Finals.
Atlanta needs to fix these issues quickly before the gap grows too wide. The Heat will host Indiana on Friday, while the Hawks look to bounce back at home.