The Atlanta Hawks vs Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. Unfortunately for them, they’ll be without key starter Jalen Johnson, who is out due to an ankle injury. Johnson has set the tone ever since the last game versus the Orlando Magic. He scored 12 points and recorded eight rebounds in just 26 minutes of action. His absence will certainly be felt as the Hawks hope to continue turning things around in their third game in four nights.
Johnson’s injury status took a turn after he was originally ruled questionable on Saturday. The Hawks’ head coach Quin Snyder expressed the team’s struggles with continuity in recent games, emphasizing the challenges faced thus far. We haven’t had an opportunity to establish too much continuity, even the manner in which our preseason went about… So in a lot of ways [the opener against] Toronto was the first match that we actually played a full 90 minutes, so to speak. So I’m very much looking forward to getting those back,” Snyder said.
Besides Johnson, the Hawks will be missing Kristaps Porzingis and fellow rookie Zaccharie Risacher in this one as well. As the newest member to join the Celtics flock, Porzingis has been an essential component. Risacher has been impactful from the start this season. Losing both players has now put the Hawks in a tight situation going into a brutal road trip.
The Hawks begin a four-game road trip with their next game against the Thunder. Against the Chicago Bulls on Monday, they’ll face a stiffer test. With three games packed into a short span and key players sidelined, the team must rely on its depth and adaptability to navigate these challenges.
As the Hawks aim to secure a win against Oklahoma City, they will need to find ways to compensate for the loss of Johnson, Porzingis, and Risacher. The creative team is counting on what’s left of its talent and ingenuity to compensate for a crazy-busy schedule.
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