Hawks’ Jalen Johnson drops ‘head of the snake’ take after Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s clutch play

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Hawks’ Jalen Johnson drops ‘head of the snake’ take after Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s clutch play

Malik Brown, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Mon, Nov 24, 2025 ·

3 min read

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The post Hawks' Jalen Johnson drops 'head of the snake' take after Nickeil Alexander-Walker's clutch play appeared first on ClutchPoints .

ATLANTA, GA – All it took was one swipe. Or maybe a few.

On the second game of a back-to-back, the Atlanta Hawks were back at home against the Charlotte Hornets, who were also coming off a back-to-back. Of course, this game would come down to the wire, and the winner was going to be whoever wanted it more in the end. It was obviously Nickeil Alexander-Walker .

Down one point with less than two minutes left, Alexander-Walker drove to the basket for a layup to give the Hawks the lead. From there, it was all about execution. The Hawks missed some shots, but they also forced the Hornets to miss some too so they could keep their lead. With 11 seconds left, the Hawks held on to a two-point lead, with the Hornets having a chance of either tying or taking the lead. In the biggest possession of the game, Kon Knueppel drove to the lane, and Alexander-Walker was there to swipe the ball away .

"Just playing the read, I know I had a few swipe-down fouls early, and I kind of trusted it," Alexander-Walker said after the game. "More times than not, I get those. I stuck to my guns in that moment. Instinctual, and reading the play."

Alexander-Walker was fouled and went to the free-throw line, splitting the two. The Hawks got another stop, and were able to walk away with the win, 113-110.

"We got some elite defenders on this team," Jalen Johnson said. "Dyson [Daniels] and Nickeil are the head of the snake on defense. Nickeil just made a big play at the end. It's going to be tough to score on him in isolation like that. It was a big stop."

Hawks execute down the stretch for clutch win vs. Hornets

The Hawks want their defense to make things easier for them on offense, and that's what they did when it mattered the most. They also held the Hornets to zero fast break points, as their transition defense has been something they've harped on since the beginning of the season.

"It's what we pride ourselves on here, our defense," Daniels said. "Getting stops, getting out and running, that's how we want to play. When we're able to do that, we're going to be alright on the offensive end."

The defense definitely turned into offense in this game, with Johnson, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu all finishing with 20-plus points.

"Guys playing with confidence and we're giving each other confidence," Alexander-Walker said. "We're feeding off each other. It's good to see everyone contribute, and it's a lot of fun. Seeing my teammates succeed, and for myself to have success. It goes to show that you can win, play together, and it doesn't have to be about 'Oh, how much do I have?' It's reassuring in that state of mind. What it's doing for us is allowing us to trust each other more as well."

The ball continues to move for the Hawks on offense, and they finished another game with 30 or more assists. That's the recipe for success for this team, and they've stuck to it without their biggest playmaker in Trae Young.

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