Atlanta Hawks rookie Jalen Johnson on Wednesday was cleared from the NBA’s health and safety protocol but did not play in a 108-102 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Johnson was initially placed into the health and safety protocol on Dec. 26 and was one of 10 individuals on the team sidelined because of COVID-19 issues. The team has since gotten most of its roster back and has just two players still out because of the protocol.
The Hawks opted to hold Johnson out of the lineup on Wednesday to allow a ramp-up period for on-court work and conditioning. He will re-join the team and likely be available to play on Friday when the Hawks continue their West Coast road trip in Los Angeles against the Lakers.
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Johnson had played sparingly with the Hawks but appeared in each of their last three games prior to entering the protocol with several players out. He has spent the majority of the season in the NBA G League, averaging 20.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 12 games.
The Hawks were forced to sign several replacement players, such as Lance Stephenson, Cam Oliver and Malcolm Hill among others. They went 5-9 during the month of December, the sixth-worst record in the league during that time frame.
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