Atlanta Hawks Announce Final Playing Status For Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker For Tonight's Game

The Hawks have had two days to rest and get ready for the big stretch of games that is coming in the month of March. Atlanta ended February on a three game winning streak and moved their overall record to 30-31. They have not succeeded when they have had a chance to get to .500, but today could be the day.

For the game today, Nickeil Alexander-Walker (left foot sprain) and Jalen Johnson (left hip flexor irritation) were questionable on the injury report. Alexander-Walker and Johnson both missed the last game against the Wizards and Johnson missed all but five minutes of the game before that. The Hawks have just announced their playing status for tonight's game.

Both players are available for tonight's game and should assume their places in the starting lineup.

Hawks updates for tonight…

Jalen Johnson is AVAILABLE

Nickeil Alexander-Walker is AVAILABLE https://t.co/lRXCTHGJZs
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) March 1, 2026

Will Hawks win their fourth straight?

Atlanta enters Sunday's game owning a 13-10 record against the Western Conference this season, including a 7-4 clip in its last 11 games. The Hawks' 13 wins over the West this season are the fifth-most by an Eastern Conference club, trailing only Detroit (15), Miami (15), Boston (14) and Cleveland (14). The Hawks enter their contest against the Trail Blazers on Sunday having won five of their last six games against Portland inside State Farm Arena.

The Hawks are coming off a 126-96 win over the Washington Wizards on 2/26. In Atlanta's past two wins, both against Washington, the club never trailed, marking the first time since the 2021-22 season (3/30/22-3/31/22) the club has had two straight wire-to-wire victories. Over the two wins, the Hawks averaged 122.5 points, 58.5 rebounds, 31.5 assists and 13.0 steals, winning by an average margin of +25.5 points (122.5-97.0). Atlanta held Washington to under 100 points in both of its wins, marking the first time since 2023-24 (2/25/24-2/27/24).

In his two games as a Hawk, newly-acquired forward Jonathan Kuminga is averaging 22.0 points on .667 FG% (14-21 FGM), .571 3FG% (4-7 3FGM) and .800 FT% (12-15 FTM), 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 27.1 minutes, owning a total +/- of +39 ... His +39 is the highest +/- for the first two games with a team in the NBA since Buddy Hield in 2024 (+45, GSW) and the highest +/- for a Hawk in his first two games with the franchise since at least 1997-98 (play-by-play era), passing Mike Dunleavy Jr.'s +34 (1/13-17-1/15/17). In his most recent outing on 2/26 against the Wizards, Kuminga tallied a near double-double of 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in 30 minutes.

Against his former team on 2/26, Corey Kispert poured in a career-high 33 points, on 11-19 shooting from the field, 6-11 from deep and a perfect 5-5 from the charity stripe, six rebounds, one assist and one block in 28 minutes off the bench. Kispert, drafted by Washington with the 15th overall pick in 2021 and acquired by the Hawks on 1/9/26, is the first Hawks reserve to tally 30+ points and 5+ rebounds since Danilo Gallinari (2/24/21) and just the fourth Hawks reserve to do so while playing in fewer than 30 minutes, joining Ken Norman (3/8/95), Adam Keefe (4/23/93) and John Drew (12/20/75), per Stathead. The Gonzaga product is the first Hawk to have 30-or-more points and five-or-more boards in fewer than 30 minutes, regardless of starter/reserve, since Trae Young (12/23/20). He enters Sunday's game with 498 career assists, two away from his 500th career helper.

Against the Wizards on 2/26, Dyson Daniels tallied 13 points, 11 assists, four rebounds, five steals and one block in 33 minutes of play. Daniels is one of only five players in the NBA this season to finish a game with 10+ points, 10+ assists and 5+ steals, joining teammate Jalen Johnson, Cade Cunningham (2x), Luka Dončić (2x) and Tyrese Maxey. He owns 111 total thefts this season, the third-most in the NBA. Since entering the NBA in 2022, the Great Barrier Thief has recorded 468 total steals, the most amongst all players in the league over that time.