Hawks vs Cavaliers: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups

Atlanta is looking for its fourth straight victory when they face Cleveland at home tonight

The Hawks have not had many three-game winning streaks to celebrate this season, but they are on one right now after another thrilling victory. 

Dejounte Murray was going to have to have a big game with Trae Young out last night against the Heat and he did that and more. Murray hit his second straight game-winning shot and the Hawks beat a mostly healthy Miami team without Young. 

Now comes the hard part. 

Atlanta has to come back home to face the hottest team in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland has won six straight, eight of their last ten and Donovan Mitchell is playing like one of the best guards in the NBA. The Cavs are short-handed,  but that has not mattered. Atlanta is coming home on the second night of a back-to-back, so this will be a challenging game for Atlanta. 

So who wins tonight's game? 

Game Preview

Donovan Mitchell will be a tough task for the Hawks today / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

First things first, we have to talk about the injury report or the lack thereof. 

The Hawks played last night, without Trae Young, and his status for tonight is not yet known. Not only are there questions about Young's status, but anyone else on the Hawks who might be out because of rest. The injury report is going to tell us a lot about this game. 

Like last night, it is going to be a matchup of good offense vs very good defense. Last season, Cleveland had the best defense in the NBA and after a bit of a slow start this year, they have gotten back to playing very well on that end. But they are missing their best defensive player as well. 

Cleveland is going to be without Evan Mobley, who is averaging 16 PPG and 10 RPG this season. Point guard Darius Garland is also out tonight and forward Caris LeVert is as well. Three of Cleveland's most important players are out, so even with the Hawks on a back-to-back, they have a chance to win. 

The Cavs are going to be reliant on Mitchell on the offensive end tonight and he comes into the game averaging 28.2 PPG, one of the top scorers in the NBA. Center Jarrett Allen has been playing exceptionally this season and will be a tough task for Clint Capela to guard tonight.

When you look at the numbers on offense for the Cavs, nothing blows you away. They are 20th in PPG, 15th in field goal percentage, 12th in three-point attempts, 26th in three-point percentage, 26th in free throw rate, 6th in rebounding, and 17th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Cavs are 19th in points per 100 possessions, 17th in effective field goal percentage, 19th in turnover percentage, 10th in offensive rebounding, and 21st in free throw rate. They are not a great shooting team, but they get second-chance opportunities because of Allen's rebounding and Mitchell can go for 35-40 points on any given night. 

Despite the numbers for the Cav's offense, the Hawks's defense is one of the worst in the NBA and Cleveland should be able to find a way to get points. Atlanta is 27th in PPG allowed, 28th in field goal percentage allowed, 17th in three-point attempts allowed, and 25th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 26th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 29th in effective field goal percentage allowed. 

The good thing for the Hawks' defense is that Mitchell and Max Strus are the only real threats on offense for Cleveland. Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Jarrett Allen don't have a big offensive repertoire which might make handling their team easier on Atlanta. 

Hawks Dejounte Murray / Jordan Godfree-USA TODAY Sports

If Young plays, Atlanta should have more than enough firepower to take on Cleveland's defense, which is not the same without Mobley. 

Atlanta is 4th in PPG, 20th in field goal percentage, 6th in three-point attempts, 17th in three-point percentage, 6th in free throw attempts, 8th in rebounding, and 20th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 11th in points per 100 possessions, 18th in effective field goal percentage, 16th in turnover percentage, 4th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 8th in free throw rate. 

Young is battling Mitchell for an All-Star spot this year and if he plays, it would be a fun showdown between two of the NBA's best guards. Young is averaging 27.2 PPG this year and 10.9 APG. 

Murray had to be the offensive anchor last night and he delivered. If Young sits (even if he does not), the Hawks are going to need more from Bogdan Bogdanovic. He hit some timely threes last night, but did not play a good game overall. Three-pointers from Patty Mills and Garrison Matthews were huge in the Hawks' win. Jalen Johnson has had some strong games in the last week and he will be key in keeping Allen off of the glass. 

The numbers for the Cleveland defense look very good. They are 2nd in PPG allowed, 5th in field goal percentage allowed, 8th in three-point attempts allowed, and 8th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Cleveland is 2nd in points allowed per 100 possessions and 6th in effective field goal percentage allowed. While Mobley is out, Allen and Okoro are strong defenders. 

Injury report

Atlanta will not release their injury report until this afternoon, so keep an eye on it.

Garland, Mobley, and Ty Jerome are out for the Cavs and LeVert is doubtful. 

Viewing and Betting Information

Tip-off time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, Bally Sports Southeast, 

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks are underdogs tonight, as they are 2.5 point underdogs according to the latest odds from the SI Sportsbook and the over/under is set at 230.5.

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Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G- Dejounte Murray

F- Saddiq Bey

F- Jalen Johnson

C- Clint Capela

Cavs

G- Donovan Mitchell

G- Isaac Okoro

F- Max Strus

F- Dean Wade

C- Jarrett Allen

Player to Watch on the Cavs tonight- Donovan Mitchell

The Cavs are going to need a big game from Mitchell because it is tough sledding for their offense if he does not. Mitchell can go for 50 points on any given night and making life hard on him should be the Hawks's top priority. Easier said than done though. 

Player to Watch on the Hawks- Clint Capela

Whether Young plays or doesn't, Capela is going to have to keep Allen off the glass, another thing that is easier said than done. Atlanta is one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA, but Allen is a one-man wrecking crew with rebounding. 

Prediction

Young's status and the fact the Hawks are on the second night of a back-to-back make this game tough to predict. I do think Atlanta has a chance to win the game either way because of the injuries Cleveland has suffered. Due to the unknown with Atlanta's injury report and how well Cleveland is playing, I think the Cavs find a way to win. 

Final Score: Cavs 113, Hawks 107

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