The Los Angeles Lakers blew out the Atlanta Hawks 136-105 on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. After winning impressively at the same arena the night before, Atlanta could not replicate the result. Onyeka Okongwu returned for his first action since Feb. 12 when he sprained his toe.
Jalen Johnson started this game with a bang, posterizing Austin Reaves in one of the best dunks of his young career. Bogdan Bogdanović and Johnson knocked down two early threes to put the Hawks up 11-2, stunning Lakers fans. However, they had reason to cheer when Los Angeles countered with a 12-2 run. The Hawks had no answer for Anthony Davis down low. Reaves, James and Davis converted three and-one layups, the latter two taking advantage of their size in the paint. Midway through the frame, the Lakers led the Hawks by a staggering 20-6 in points in the paint. When Head Coach Darvin Ham brought in the bench, Max Christie gave Los Angeles a boost creating shots off dribble penetration, including a dunk in traffic. The Lakers took a 38-28 lead heading into the second quarter. Davis and James combined for 23 Los Angeles points and after Johnson subbed out, the Hawks struggled to generate quality shots.
Onyeka Okongwu knocked down a corner three on a designed play to start the second quarter. He showcased his versatility with a nice pass on the next possession to a cutting Johson, who slammed it home. Trent Forrest found Johnson on a cut for another slam, and Bruno Fernando’s block led to another look at the rim for the Hawks’ wing. Johnson had his fingerprints all over the game, looking to get downhill whenever possible. His run cut the Lakers’ deficit to 45-41. Shortly after, Reaves stole Fernando’s inbound pass and threw a crafty behind-the-back pass to a cutting James for a one-handed throwdown. This pivotal play was the catalyst for a 9-2 Lakers run, extending their lead to 54-43. Los Angeles’ high post offense consistently broke down Atlanta’s defense, creating open looks at the rim. The Lakers took a 73-59 lead into the locker room led by James 19 points. Johnson scored 17, while Bogdanović had 15 points for the Hawks.
Clint Capela was a bright spot for Atlanta at the start of the third quarter. He collected six early points and four offensive boards. The Hawks cut the deficit to 12 a number of times but could not get consistent defensive stops to catch Los Angeles. The Lakers continued to hurt Atlanta inside, stretching their lead out to 21 points on an 8-0 run. After a rough first half, De’Andre Hunter started to heat up to end the third quarter, but the Lakers had a counter. Davis knocked down a tough triple as the shot clock winded down, and D’Angelo Russell converted from 27-feet away. On the Lakers’ next possession, Russell knocked down a one-footed leaning triple to give Los Angeles a 111-86 lead.
After winning the third frame 38-27, the Lakers put the game away with an early 8-2 run to start the fourth. Unfortunately, near the 6:40 mark, Johnson injured his ankle after contesting a shot. He limped back to the bench and did not return. After the game, Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Lauren Williams asked Johnson about his status. He said he was “straight.” Hopefully, Johnson does not miss an extended period of time, as Atlanta is alread without Saddiq Bey (ACL tear) for the season. After this sequence, Head Coach Quin Snyder emptied his bench.
Johnson led the Hawks dropping 25 points and nine rebounds. He shot 5-6 from the free throw line after struggling from the stripe in his first game back against the Utah Jazz. Bogdanović scored two points in the second half to finish with 17, while Dejounte Murray shot 6-18 from the field for 13 points. Capela collected nine boards and 10 points, and Okongwu added 11 points and two steals. Vít Krejčí also finished with 11 points.
The Lakers’ “big three” dominated in this game. Russell put up 27 points and 10 assists, including 6-10 from beyond the arc. Davis totaled 22 points and 15 rebounds, while James had 25 points, 10 assists and seven boards.
The Hawks split their two contests in Los Angeles. They face the Phoenix Suns on the final game of their west coast road trip on Thursday at the Footprint Center.
