Hawks’ Jalen Johnson shares true feelings on big win before 2026

ATLANTA, GA – When a new year arrives, everyone wants to break old habits and create better ones that will set the tone moving forward. In all honesty, it’s good to break those habits before the new year arrives so you can come in with a fresh, clean slate. That’s what the Atlanta Hawks did, as they broke a seven-game losing streak a day before 2026, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-102.

For the past two games, it felt like a breakthrough was coming for the Hawks. Following a sit-down where the team voiced their thoughts on what has happened over the past few weeks, the Hawks still were not able to get wins against the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder, but they were playing the way they wanted to, which is all they needed to get a win like this.

“It was great. It was refreshing,” Jalen Johnson said after the game. “It was just a complete game from everybody, and just the durability from all of us to be able to do it for 48 minutes. I think that was huge for us and just a step in the right direction. This is one game, and this is something we can continue to build off. 

“Nobody wants to lose that many games in a row. To be able to close out on a day like this, New Year’s Eve, going into the new year with a fresh start and going in with the dub, I think that’s huge for everybody.”

The Hawks started off the game strong, and they didn’t look back at any point. Shots were falling, and the ball was moving on offense. Defensively, they forced the Timberwolves into tough shots, ran them off the three-point line, and held down the paint. With all of that coming together for the Hawks, they were able to lead by as much as 34 points during the fourth quarter.

Hawks get an affirming win before the new year

The Hawks were able to get some more help in this game, as Kristaps Porzingis returned to the floor after being shut down the past two weeks due to an illness. He came off the bench and was instant offense for the team, and his presence in the paint made a difference for a unit that had given up 125+ points in seven straight games.

They only gave up 102 today.

“That’s what we strive for, because offensively, we will score, and we are a pretty efficient scoring team,” Porzingis said. “It’s probably a mix of many things, but one thing that can help us is getting shots that we want, not forcing too much stuff. When you get shots that you want, then you’re more prepared to get back and more prepared to set your defense. We have to keep gaining experience as a team. I think that’s going to help.”

Though the Hawks were on a long losing streak, they never seemed to waver. Some didn’t even notice the losing streak had gotten to seven points, Porzingis specifically.

“It’s like that sometimes,” Porzingis said. “We probably lost a couple that we should have won, and there are streaks in the season like that. No need to overreact, and I think we didn’t. The coaching staff did a good job of just focusing on the daily work and not focusing as much on that result, and tonight was a good reward for us.”

The Hawks will now walk into the new year with no losing streak, but it doesn’t get any easier to start 2026 when looking at the schedule. Head coach Quin Snyder thinks if the Hawks continue to play their game, they’ll get rewarded for it moving forward.

“We take care of the ball, move the ball, make the right play, and play for each other,” Snyder said. “I think if we can continue to do that, we’ll be a solid team, and we can be really competitive. When we don’t, the reverse is true. So our margin is not great, and that’s okay. But we just have to know that’s what it is, and just embrace that.”

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