On a fastbreak in last night’s game against the Washington Wizards, Jalen Johnson took a foul from Kyle Kuzma that send him to the floor hard. He appeared to hurt his left wrist while bracing for contact with the ground. After two free throw attempts, he left the game and didn’t return due to this injury in a blowout win over the Wizards.
Jalen Johnson left tonight’s game after falling on his left wrist and will not return. pic.twitter.com/dL7Qt7xRxe
— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) November 26, 2023
Now, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Johnson will now miss approximately four to six weeks after testing was done on that left wrist.
Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with left wrist injury, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Good news: Tests showed no fracture or need for surgery. Johnson is one of the NBA’s early Most Improved candidates, averaging 14.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 42.5% from 3. pic.twitter.com/8cyOjYJDpf
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 26, 2023
The silver lining is that tests did not reveal a fracture which would have presumably required more time away from the court. Johnson had been in the middle of a breakout Most Improved Player campaign, averaging 14.1 points on 67.3% true shooting and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Overcoming a little adversity ain’t nothing new to me! TMC ☝
— Jalen Johnson (@Jalen_J23) November 26, 2023
[update 2:45 PM EST]
Contrary to Charania’s original reporting, the Atlanta Hawks announced a ‘left distal radius fracture’ for Jalen Johnson.
An @emoryhealthcare injury update:
Jalen Johnson, who left last night’s game at Washington during the second quarter following a left wrist injury, underwent an X-ray last night in Washington and an MRI this morning in Boston.
He has been diagnosed with a left distal radius… pic.twitter.com/SBv6vkkCcZ
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 26, 2023