Former Duke basketball forward Jalen Johnson Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Former Duke Basketball Player Delivers Eye-Popping NBA Cup Performance

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated Dec 12, 2024 10:20 PM ET

On Wednesday night, the Atlanta Hawks (14-12), coached by former Duke basketball guard and assistant Quin Snyder, advanced to the semifinals of the NBA Cup, the league's in-season tournament, via their 108-100 road win over the New York Knicks (15-10) in Madison Square Garden.

And the Hawks enjoyed a notably productive effort by their fourth-year pro out of Duke in forward Jalen Johnson.

He finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks in the contest. According to StatMuse, the 22-year-old Wisconsin native joined Denver Nuggets star big man Nikola Jokic as the only two players in the NBA to tally all of those totals in a single game this season.

Jalen Johnson tonight:

21 PTS
15 REB
7 AST
2 STL
2 BLK

Joins Nikola Jokic as the only players to reach those numbers this season. pic.twitter.com/VpsXvkwytN
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 12, 2024

Johnson, who came off the board No. 20 overall to the Hawks at the 2021 NBA Draft following his truncated one-and-done campaign with the Blue Devils, shot 8-for-20 from the field, 1-for-5 from deep, and 4-for-6 at the foul line across his game-high 41 minutes of action against the Knicks.

Through his 24 outings as a full-time starter under Quin Snyder this season, Jalen Johnson is averaging 19.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks. All of those numbers mark career highs.

Atlanta, No. 7 in the Eastern Conference standings, is now gearing up for its NBA Cup semifinal bout against the Milwaukee Bucks (13-11) in Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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