Hawks deliver crucial Jalen Johnson injury update

On Wednesday evening, the shorthanded Atlanta Hawks picked up a home win over the equally shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers in a game that was largely overshadowed by an injury sustained by forward Jalen Johnson early in the third quarter. On the play, Johnson appeared to roll his ankle, and the Hawks elected to keep him out of the remainder of the game with what the team initially called a right ankle sprain.

Now, the team is giving more information on what exactly the injury was and just what Johnson’s timeline might be for a return to the court.

“Jalen Johnson left last night’s game with a right ankle injury. X-rays taken at State Farm Arena were negative, and he has been diagnosed with a right ankle sprain. He will not travel with the team for tomorrow’s game at Memphis, and his status is day-to-day,” wrote the official Hawks’ account on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter.

Jalen Johnson has been arguably the lone bright spot for a Hawks season that has otherwise been a complete disaster. The Trae Young and Dejounte Murray partnership in the backcourt has somehow gotten even less compatible in the duo’s first full season under head coach Quin Snyder, and the Hawks’ defense has largely been nonexistent, pushing the team all the way down to tenth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Thankfully, Johnson’s latest injury–he missed extended time with a broken wrist earlier this year–appears to be nothing significant, and the team can look forward to his return soon.