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

After a clutch win versus the Chicago Bulls, can the Hawks keep things rolling against the Miami Heat at home?

Apr 9, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots against the Miami Heat in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In one of their best efforts of the season thus far, the Hawks scored 50 points in the fourth quarter (21 in the last six minutes) of their matchup with the Chicago Bulls to erase a 20+ point deficit and come up with a improbable 141-133 win. They matched a 37-point explosion by Bulls guard Zach LaVine with three 20+ point performances from Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and DeAndre Hunter in an excellent display of the offensive firepower this team possesses. Young had an efficient 27 point, 13 assist double-double while Hunter chipped in 25 points off the bench. However, Johnson stole the show with an incredible 30 point, 15 rebound, 4 assist performance. He got it done on both ends of the court, forcing 2 turnovers and playing excellent defense down the stretch.

Their game today against the Miami Heat is an excellent opportunity to gain some ground in the Eastern Conference standings. Miami is one spot ahead of the Hawks and has played Atlanta hard over the last few seasons, usually getting the better of them. That's largely due to the Hawks' inability to limit Tyler Herro. Herro scored 30+ points in two of his appearances against Atlanta last year. Bam Adebayo has also given the Hawks problems on defense. To put it simply, this is a matchup that should tell fans a lot about the improvements that Atlanta has made.

Herro is making a case for an All-Star nod - he is averaging 23.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists on 47.1/40.5/85% shooting splits. He is Miami's most effective shooter from deep - he's currently averaging 9.8 attempts from three-point range. Adebayo is having a down year, but contributes 16.3 points and 9.9 rebounds a game. Importantly, the Heat will be without star forward Jimmy Butler as he's been ruled out due to recovering from an illness.

Both Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic have been listed as questionable for the game against the Heat. Young has played in both of the recent games that he's had a questionable designation for, but Bogdanovic missed both games against the Timberwolves and Bulls, respectively. If the Hawks can get both in the lineup against the Heat, that would significantly improve their odds of building a streak by winning three straight.

Game Preview

Coming into tonight's game, the Hawks are 7th in the NBA in PPG, 14th in FG%, 20th in 3PA, 18th in 3P%, 3rd in FTA, 27th in turnovers, and 4th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 15th in points per 100 possessions, 20th in effective field goal percentage, 19th in turnover percentage, 7th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 6th in free throw rate.

Currently, the Hawks rank 27th in PPG allowed, 20th in field goal percentage allowed, 30th in three-point attempts allowed, and 30th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 17th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Miam is a balanced team that shoots well from deep without turning the ball over. The Heat are 18th in PPG, 21st in FG%, 10th in three point attempts, 6th in 3P%, 9th in free throw attempts, 19th in rebounding, and 6th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Miami is 11th in points per 100 possessions, 19th in effective field goal percentage, 7th in turnover percentage, 21st in offensive rebounding percentage, and 4th in free throw rate.

Defensively, the Heat play a really solid brand of team defense. They rank 6th in PPG allowed, 12th in FG%, 13th in three point attempts allowed, and 14th in three point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Miami is 11th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 12th in effective field goal percentage.

One of the keys to this game is going to be slowing down Herro, which I expect to fall on Dyson Daniels. Daniels has been one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA this year. Although he didn't have a great game against LaVine, he'll need to return to his usual form against Herro. I am also interested in seeing whether Jalen Johnson can break a Miami defense that has given him some trouble in recent years. Last season, they held Johnson to 9, 15 and 13 points on lackluster efficiency across three games. It will be interesting to see if Miami puts Adebayo on him for an extended period or if they use a combination of Highsmith/Jaquez Jr. Jaquez Jr's sophomore season has been less impressive offensively, but his defense has taken a noticeable leap. He was critical to the Heat's win agaisnt Orlando where he racked up five steals and a block.

Although it wasn't the most efficient performance, DeAndre Hunter did have 23 points and 11 rebounds against the Heat in the Hawks' play-in game last season. He has been a pleasant surprise for Atlanta as one of the best sixth men in basketball this year. His strong play has been a critical reason why the Hawks have the third-most points off the bench this year. After another great performance against the Bulls, it will be interesting to see if he can have another scoring outburst. On the Miami side, Duncan Robinson getting hot can change things in a hurry. If the Hawks do not have Bogdanovic, they'll have to run Robinson off the line and keep him under wraps.

Injury Report

Trae Young (right heel contusion) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (left lower leg contusion) are questionable while Onyeka Okongwu (knee) is out.

Odds

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, Atlanta is a two-point favorite tonight against the Heat, and the total is set at 225.5.

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks

G- Trae Young

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Zaccharie Risacher

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Clint Capela

Heat

G - Duncan Robinson

G - Tyler Herro

F - Haywood Highsmith

F - Jaime Jaquez

C - Bam Adebayo