Jalen Johnson: season-high 43 points vs Hornets (Dec 18, 2025)
43 PTS · 16-of-27 FG · 4-of-9 3P · 7-of-7 FT · 39:30 MIN
Usual before this game: 22.8 PTS · 16.0 FGA · 35.1 MIN, from 24 regular-season games
2nd-best Game Score of 25 games this season: 37.0 against a usual 21.6 (+15.4)
Season-high 43 points (previous high 41, set on Nov 30, 2025)
above usual
No more than 5 in 100 games by players at this level finish this far above their usual.
For a player who plays every game, a game this far above the usual comes about 2 to 4 times a season.
How the score worksWhy did Jalen Johnson score 43 points?
In 39:30 against the Hornets on Dec 18, 2025, Jalen Johnson scored 43 points: 16-of-27 from the field (59.3%), 4-of-9 from three (44.4%), 7-of-7 on free throws (100.0%). Before this game, Johnson averaged 22.8 points on 16.0 shots in 35.1 minutes across 24 regular-season games. The previous high this season was 41 points. By Game Score it was the 2nd-best of 25 games this season. Shot attempts: 27, against a usual 16.0. The 59.3% from the field compares with a usual 51.6%. From two-pointers, 24 points against a usual 13.4; from threes, 12 points against a usual 4.7; from free throws, 7 points against a usual 4.7. Playing time was 39:30, against a usual 35.1 minutes; per 36 minutes, the Game Score was 33.7, against a usual 22.1. The Hawks lost 133-126 at the Hornets. The box score records what changed, not why: it holds no injury, matchup or coaching information.
Generated from the box score and this season's game log. How the score works
What changed
Johnson in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (24 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 39:30 | 35.1 | +4.4 |
| Points | 43 | 22.8 | +20.2 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 27 · 59.3% | 16.0 · 51.6% | +11.0 · +7.7 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 9 · 44.4% | 4.0 · 38.5% | +5.0 · +5.9 |
| FTA · FT% | 7 · 100.0% | 5.8 · 81.3% | +1.2 · +18.7 |
| Rebounds | 11 | 10.5 | +0.5 |
| Assists | 9 | 8.2 | +0.8 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 3.3 | +0.7 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 24 games | 35.5 | 26.4 | +9.1 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 33.7 | 22.1 | +11.6 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (24 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 12 (4-of-9) | 4.7 (1.6-of-4.0) | +7.3 |
| Twos | 24 (12-of-18) | 13.4 (6.7-of-12.0) | +10.6 |
| Free throws | 7 (7-of-7) | 4.7 (4.7-of-5.8) | +2.3 |
| Total | 43 | 22.8 | +20.2 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
37.0 against a usual 21.6 (+15.4)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +16.1 |
| Rebounds | -0.1 |
| Assists | +0.6 |
| Steals and blocks | -0.2 |
| Turnovers and fouls | -1.0 |
| Total | +15.4 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
2nd-best Game Score of 25 games this season.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Hawks lost 133-126 at the Hornets.
- Earlier regular-season meetings with the Hornets this season: 28 points (Nov 23, 2025).
What this page cannot tell you
The same on every performance page
Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.
Game Score against the player's own usual line. How rare a gap is comes from NBA regular-season games of 2023-24 and 2024-25, checked on 2025-26.