Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson will miss three to four weeks due to a left wrist injury, the team announced on Sunday.
Johnson went down in the first half of their 136-108 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night and landed on his left wrist. An MRI on Sunday morning led to him being diagnosed with a left distal radius fracture. He will be evaluated again in three to four weeks, which could keep him out until the end of the calendar year.
Johnson, during a fast break at Capital One Arena on Saturday night, went up to dunk and was fouled by Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma at the rim. Johnson awkwardly crashed down to the court and landed directly on his left wrist — which he grabbed instantly in pain. He shot two free throws after drawing the foul, but then left the game and didn’t return.
Johnson finished the game with eight points, one rebound and one assist in eight minutes.
Jalen Johnson landed hard on his left wrist after trying to throw down a dunk over Kyle Kuzma on Saturday night. (Rob Carr/Getty Images) (Rob Carr via Getty Images)
Johnson is in the middle of a breakout season for the Hawks. The 21-year-old, who the Hawks took with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has averaged a career-high 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds so far this season while shooting just shy of 60% from the field. He’s absolutely played his way into the Most Improved Player mix already this season, too, after averaging just 5.6 points per game last season.
Overcoming a little adversity ain’t nothing new to me! TMC 🏁☝🏽
— Jalen Johnson (@Jalen_J23) November 26, 2023
The Hawks sit at 8-7 ahead of Sunday’s game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden, which marks the second of a five-game road trip. If Johnson is sidelined for just four weeks, he could return in time for their game against the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 26.
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