Hawks vs Blazers: Game Preview, Injury Report, Betting Odds, Projected Starting Lineups For Tonight's Game

Can the Hawks find a way to win tonight on the road in Portland?

Nov 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) and forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) react after defeating the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks are back on the court tonight and are looking to start their four-game road trip with a win in Portland vs the Trail Blazers. Atlanta has won back-to-back games and with a win tonight, it would be a season high win streak at three.

The Hawks are also starting to get healthier and could have more depth tonight. While Bogdan Bogdanovic and De'Andre Hunter are out, Vit Krejci was upgraded to questionable and Kobe Bufkin was upgraded to doubtful. Getting Krejci back would be huge for the Hawks, as he adds length and athleticism to the their team and is a good shooter.

It has been rough for Portland to start the year and they have looked like one of the worst teams in the NBA for much of the year. However, they beat the Timberwolves in back-to-back games earlier this week and have not played since Wednesday. They will be well rested and the Hawks are not good enough to take anyone for granted. The Blazers are going to be shorthanded in this game tonight however, with Anfernee Simons and Matisse Thybulle ruled out and Deandre Ayton being doubtful.

So how do these two teams matchup?

Game Preview

Coming into tonight's game, the Hawks are 7th in the NBA in PPG, 13th in FG%, 19th in 3PA, 19th in 3P%, 5th in FTA, 21st in turnovers, and 15th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 11th in points per 100 possessions, 14th in effective field goal percentage, 18th in turnover percentage, 18th offensive rebounding percentage, and 9th in free throw rate.

Defensively, it has been bumpy for Atlanta, but they are not going to be facing a offensive juggernaut tonight. Atlanta currently ranks 28th in PPG allowed, 18th in field goal percentage allowed, 30th in three-point attempts allowed, and 30th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 25th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Portland's offense has struggled all season and they are going to be without Simons tonight and it seems likely that Ayton won't play. The Blazers are going to have to rely on Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Jerami Grant for offensive production tonight.

The Blazers come into this game 27th in the NBA in PPG, 28th in field goal percentage, 27th in three point attempts, 28th in three point percentage, 12th in free throw attempts, 12th in rebounding, and 20th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Portland is 30th in points per 100 possessions, 30th in effective field goal percentage, 27th in turnover percentage, 8th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 16th in free throw rate.

It is a little better on the defensive end for Portland, but only a little. The Blazers are 21st in PPG allowed, 19th in field goal percentage allowed, 28th in three-point attempts allowed, and 15th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Portland is 14th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 21st in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Trae Young has been in a bit of a slump, but he is still the leader of the Hawks offense. Young shot 5-18 in Friday's win over Washington and is shooting 38% from the field this season and 34% from three. He is second in the NBA in assists per game, averaging 11.3.

Dyson Daniels has been the story on the Hawks. He has at least six steals in four straight games and has been arguably the top perimeter defender in the NBA this year. With Simons out, it will be interesting to see who Daniels guards tonight. His offense is starting to come around as well, as he has scored at least 16 points in four straight games. He has been awesome to start the year for Atlanta.

Zaccharie Risacher is going to get the start tonight and it has been up and down for the No. 1 pick. He is only shooting 37% from the field and 23% from three, but he is defending well and nothing looks to big for him. Once the shots start falling, Risacher is going to be a major impact player.

Jalen Johnson has been one of the best young players in the league this season and it seems like he is getting better with each game. Johnson is averaging 18.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG, and 5.5 APG this season on 46% from the field and 31% from three. His passing has taken a step forward this season and once his three-point shot starts falling, it will be scary for opposing teams when facing Atlanta.

The Hawks have gotten great production from the center position lately. Whether it is Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, or Larry Nance, the Hawks are getting good defense and rebounding. Nance currently leads the Hawks in three-point percentage (67%) and has shared the floor with both Capela and Okongwu in the past two games, something Quin Snyder had been reluctant to do.

Keaton Wallace is likely to lead the backup point guard minutes tonight unless Bufkin comes back and takes over. Wallace has done great over the past few weeks of being a reliable two-way player when backing up Young.

If Krejci plays, I think he will get minutes tonight off the bench, along with Garrison Matthews. With Hunter out, it would not shock me to see David Roddy get minutes tonight either.

Portland is going to be relying on Grant tonight for offense, but they are likely going to need a big game from Henderson as well. Toumani Camara is shooting 44% from three this season and the Hawks have been poor at defending the three-point line. If Ayton does not play, rookie Donovan Clingan will likely start, with Robert Williams coming off the bench. Clingan had a monster game on Wednesday vs Minnesota, scoring 17 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and blocking eight shots in 31 minutes. Clingan has incredible defensive ability and that could alter the Hawks shooting decisions.

Injury Report

Vit Krejci (right adductor strain) is questionable, Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder subluxation) is doubtful, Bogdan Bogdanovic (right hamstring tendinopathy), De’Andre Hunter (right knee injury management), and Cody Zeller (not with team) are out. Hunter is being held out of tomorrow's game due to it being the start of a back-to-back according to the AJC's Lauren Williams.

Anfernee Simson and Matisse Thybulle are out for Portland and Deandre Ayton is doubtful.

Odds

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, the Hawks are 3.5 point favorites tonight in Portland. The total is set at 231.5.

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Zaccharie Risacher

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Clint Capela

Blazers:

G-Scoot Henderson

G- Shaedon Sharpe

F- Toumani Camara

F - Jerami Grant

C - Donovan Clingan

Additional Links:

NBA Analyst Says This One Thing Should Be The Hawks Goal For The Rest of The Season

Trae Young On Dyson Daniels: "I See First Team Defense As Many Years As He Wants It"

Biggest Takeaways From Atlanta Hawks 129-117 Win Over Washington