Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson had a blunt response after the Hawks were blown out by the New York Knicks, saying that “it sucks.”
The Knicks beat the Hawks 140-89 in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series in what was one of the most lopsided playoff games in NBA history. The Knicks held an 83-36 lead at halftime, so the game was basically over before it even began. For Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, he tried his best to motivate his players in the locker room at halftime, but ultimately it proved futile as the Knicks continued to score at will, eventually winning the game with a 51-point margin.
Jalen Johnson Reacts to Blowout Loss
For the players, it’s downright embarrassing anytime you are on the wrong end of a blowout defeat like the Hawks were. Johnson, the team’s best player and a first-time NBA All-Star this year, spoke to the media following the beatdown loss, admitting that losing that way stung.
“I don’t really have any words for that. Obviously, disappointing. Obviously, it sucks. I think that’s the biggest thing. Yeah, it was just a tough position to be in. Obviously, we dug ourselves a big hole from the start, and it was tough to climb out of that,” Johnson said.
Johnson was one of the few bright spots for the Hawks in the game, as he scored 21 points while adding 8 rebounds and 6 assists. But it was all for naught as the Hawks never had a chance in this game.
Jalen Johnson Took a Massive Leap This Year
When you talk about the most-improved players in the NBA this year, Johnson is near the top of the list. In 72 games, he averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists, while helping lead the Hawks to 46 regular-season wins and a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The fifth-year forward was a first-time NBA All-Star this season, and he may get a spot on the All-NBA Third Team when they are announced. Overall, it was a terrific season for Johnson, who proved that he is one of the league’s best young players. At age 24, the sky is the limit for him.
But while Johnson individually had a great season, the pain of losing the way they did to the Knicks and seeing the team end their year the way it did hurts. It makes it feel like everything that both the player and the team accomplished during the regular season didn’t matter, because ultimately, they did not accomplish their goals in the playoffs.
The Hawks need to keep things in perspective, though. The Knicks are an excellent team and a legitimate NBA Championship title contender this year, so there is no shame in losing to them, though the way the Hawks lost in Game 6 obviously hurts. But Atlanta showed in the first three games of the series that they were a very good team and took a 2-1 series lead because of it, before New York ultimately pulled away and won the final three games to show they were better.
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