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

Can the Hawks pull a huge upset on the road in Boston tonight?

After playing the No. 1 team in the Western Conference on Monday night, the Atlanta Hawks now go on the road to face the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, as well as the No. 1 team in the NBA. 

The Hawks are in Boston tonight to face the Celtics for the second time this season and Atlanta does come in as winners of four out of their last five. They had one of their best offensive performances of the year against the Clippers, but they could not get enough stops in the end to push their winning streak to five.

This is going to be another big test though. The Celtics are the best team in the NBA and are elite on both ends of the floor. They might be without Jrue Holiday tonight, but they are still big favorites against the Hawks. 

So what can the Hawks do to keep this game close and perhaps pull out an upset? Let's break the game down. 

Game Preview

On paper, this matchup appears lopsided. 

The Celtics are at the top of most categories on both offense and defense and the Hawks's defense is the biggest red flag in this game. 

Let's look at the numbers. 

Boston is 5th in the NBA in PPG, 13th in field goal percentage, 1st in three-point attempts, 5th in three-point percentage, 20th in free throw attempts, 1st in rebounding, and 6th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Boston is 3rd in points per 100 possessions, 5th in effective field goal percentage, 3rd in turnover percentage, 18th in offensive rebounding, and 16th in free throw rate. 

I will point out that the low free throw attempts and the low free throw rate for Boston come from their high volume of three-point shots. It is also the way I think the Hawks's defense, as bad as it is, can get stops. Boston is not a great team at getting to the rim and if the Hawks can force some low-percentage three-point attempts and win the matchup on the glass, that is their best path to victory. 

Jayson Tatum is having an MVP-type season for the Celtics. He is averaging 27.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 4.5 APG while shooting 47% from the field and 37% from three. The Hawks are going to need De'Andre Hunter in this game to help try and slow down Tatum. 

The Celtics have a number of players that are elite on both ends of the floor. Jaylen Brown, Holiday (if he plays), and Derrick White are going to present a tough matchup for the Hawks. Brown is averaging 22.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 3.7 APG this season while shooting 49% from the floor and 35% from three. 

Kristaps Porzingis has unlocked a new element in the Celtics offense and might be the X-Factor in them making a championship run. Porzingis is averaging 19.6 PPG and 6.9 RPG this season while shooting 52% from the field and 35% from three. 

Hawks point guard Trae Young vs the Clippers / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Hawks' defense is arguably the worst in the NBA. They are 29th in PPG allowed, 29th in field goal percentage allowed, 22nd in three-point attempts allowed, and 28th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 27th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 29th in effective field goal percentage allowed. 

I don't expect the Hawks to get a ton of stops in this game, but can their offense do enough in this game to give them a chance to win?

Atlanta is playing at a high level on offense and that is led by Trae Young, who was named an All-Star yesterday, as well as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. 

Young is averaging 27.3 PPG and 10.9 APG (2nd in the NBA) and he has been shooting the ball well. Tonight is going to be a tough test for him though, as the Celtics have a ton of guys that they can throw at him defensively. Holiday (if he plays), Brown, White, and even Tatum can guard Young and switch on him if necessary. 

Dejounte Murray (lower back tightness) is questionable for this game tonight and this is the kind of game that the Hawks really need Murray. If Murray is out, it allows the Celtics to focus all of their attention on Young. 

De'Andre Hunter is available for tonight's game and he is coming off of his best game of the season. Hunter scored 27 points on 10-12 shooting, including 3-5 from three, but he was only able to play 18 minutes due to his minutes restriction. How much longer will that last? It is tough to say, but it was encouraging to see Hunter have that kind of game. Could Hunter be reinserted into the starting lineup over Saddiq Bey? Keep an eye on that. 

Jalen Johnson is coming off of one of his toughest games of the year and is looking to bounce back tonight. Johnson needs to have a better offensive game, but he will likely have to guard Tatum tonight as well, which will be a tough test. 

Onyeka Okongwu is starting in place of the injured Clint Capela and he will have a big role tonight. The Celtics are not a strong offensive-rebounding team and if Okongwu can prevent Boston from getting second-chance opportunities, it will help Atlanta a ton. 

The Hawks come into this game 3rd in the NBA in PPG, 22nd in field goal percentage, 7th in three-point attempts, 18th in three-point percentage, 5th in free throw attempts, 8th in rebounding, and 15th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 10th in points per 100 possessions, 19th in effective field goal percentage, 11th in turnover percentage, 3rd in offensive rebounding, and 9th in free throw rate. 

Boston is as elite of a team on defense as you will find in the NBA. They are 5th in PPG allowed, 2nd in field goal percentage allowed, 27th in three-point attempts allowed, and 5th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Celtics are 3rd in points allowed per 100 possessions and 3rd in effective field goal percentage. 

Injury Report

Dejounte Murray is questionable for the game tonight with lower back tightness. 

De’Andre Hunter (right knee injury management) is available while Clint Capela (left adductor strain) and Mouhamed Gueye (right low back stress fracture) are out.

For the Celtics, they are listing guard Jrue Holiday as questionable with a right elbow sprain.

Viewing and Betting Information

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

Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, Bally Sports Southeast

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be big underdogs on the road tonight, as they are currently 11.5 point underdogs according to the latest odds from the SI Sportsbook 

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G- Dejounte Murray

F- Saddiq Bey

F- Jalen Johnson

C- Clint Capela

For now, I will project Bey as the starter over Hunter. If Murray is out, look for Bogdan Bogdanovic to start. 

Celtics:

G-Jrue Holiday

G- Derrick White

F- Jaylen Brown

F- Jayson Tatum

C-Kristaps Porzingis

I will project Holiday in for now. 

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