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Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks looks to pass against Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on January 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
All-Star forward Jalen Johnson has been listed as questionable for Thursday night’s rematch against the Washington Wizards, less than 48 hours after he sustained a left hip flexor injury in the Atlanta Hawks‘ 119-98 victory.
Johnson left Tuesday’s game at the 5:30 mark of the first quarter, when he had five points, three rebounds and two steals against the Wizards. After the game, head coach Quin Snyder said the injury was severe enough that the Hawks did not risk their star player and thus held him out of the rest of the game.
“There was enough there not to send him back in the game,” Snyder said, via ESPN.
Jalen Johnson Injury News
While an injury to their best player is a concern for Snyder’s team, Hawks beat writer Brad Rowland reported on Wednesday that Johnson may have avoided a serious injury, as he’s listed as “questionable” rather than “OUT” on the injury report.
“If nothing else, this listing is relatively encouraging that Jalen Johnson avoided serious injury,” Rowland reported.
“Quin Snyder pointed to that last night and this is another good datapoint.”
Johnson, averaging 23.0 points, 10.6 rebounds and 7.9 assists, has established himself as one of the NBA’s best two-way players this season, with some current and former players likening him to a young Scottie Pippen. After LeBron James compared Johnson to Pippen, Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins also made the comparison recently.
“Well, I must say he’s a little bit of Scottie Pippen as far as being a point forward,” Wikins told Casino.org in a recent interview.
“Pippen was a point forward, and was very effective at the position. This guy Jalen, he brings even another element, because the way he rebounds, the way he passes, and he flirts with a triple-double every single night.”
Jonathan Kuminga to Start?
Further to Wikins’ point, Johnson (11) ranks second in triple-doubles this NBA season, behind only three-time MVP Nikola Jokic (21).
The Hawks could ill-afford to lose Johnson for an extended period, given that they are on the heels of the Miami Heat for the eighth seed and 3.5 games behind the Orlando Magic for the seventh seed. Regardless, Snyder’s team seems like a lock to qualify for the play-in tournament this season, by which time they’d need a healthy Johnson.
The injuries to Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and Nickeil Alexander-Walker could lead to more playing time and a possible starting role for Jonathan Kuminga, who shone in his Hawks debut on Tuesday with a season-high 27 points off the bench.
Snyder was very impressed by Kuminga’s debut and the former Golden State Warriors wing’s ability to adapt to his fast-paced system.
“The things that we’ve talked about as a team, clearly it was a focal point for him,” Snyder said of Kuminga. “Our playing with the pass is, as you’ve heard me say it since October, and he really demonstrated that right away. Even to the point where it’s okay to shoot, too.”
“He let himself get in the game. Got connected with his teammates and just let the game come to him. I think that shows a lot of maturity on his part and shows a lot of kind of how he feels about the group.”
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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