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

The Jazz have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this year - can the Hawks use this matchup as an opportunity to stop a three-game losing skid?

Nov 9, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shoots over Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

After being run off the floor in the second quarter by the Los Angeles Clippers and suffering a 131-105 beatdown, the Atlanta Hawks are experiencing a bit of a skid. They've dropped their last three games almost entirely because of one terrible quarter in each of them. It's a trend that they desperately need to reverse.

Against the Clippers, Young led the way with 20 points and 14 assists, Zaccharie Risacher had a solid game with 13 points, De'Andre Hunter had 18 off the bench, and Garrison Matthews had 15 points. Jalen Johnson did not play against the Clippers and that will hold true tonight. The fourth-year forward, who is making a case for All-Star status, has been ruled out due to right shoulder inflammation. Fortunately, both Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic will be avaliable for tonight. Bogdanovic missed the Clippers game and would have been very helpful for a Hawks team that shot 35% from deep as a team.

Although Utah has struggled this year, the Hawks cannot afford to dismiss them. The Jazz have convincingly won their last two games against the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic. The Heat are very close to the Hawks in the standings while the Magic are comfortably above them. Even though Utah is experiencing some injury woes with Lauri Markkanen questionable and John Collins, Keyonte George and Jordan Clarkson all being ruled out, they did not have those players against the Magic and still won.

A big reason for those wins is the play of sophomore wing Brice Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh dropped 34 against the Jazz and followed it up with 27 points against Orlando. He's currently shooting 42.7% on 4.2 attempts per game for the season and should be a difficult matchup for Atlanta. Collin Sexton is also going to be an important player for Atlanta to slow down. He is averaging 17.7 points and 3.9 assists on 48.1/42.8/90.1 splits. Those two should be expected to carry a big scoring load for Atlanta while Walker Kessler brings the defensive force for Utah. He is an offense-altering rim protector who can hold his own against any center while serving as a solid play-finisher on offense.

This may not be a premier matchup for Atlanta, but it's still one that the Hawks need to take seriously so that they can finish with a much-needed win.

Game Preview

Coming into tonight's game, the Hawks are 7th in the NBA in PPG, 15th in FG%, 19th in 3PA, 18th in 3P%, 4th in FTA, 24th in turnovers, and 6th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 15th in points per 100 possessions, 18th in effective field goal percentage, 19th in turnover percentage, 7th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 8th in free throw rate.

Currently, the Hawks rank 27th in PPG allowed, 25th 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.

The Jazz's offense is solidly positioned within the middle of the NBA and hustles on the glass, but they do struggle to keep possession. Utah is 19th in the NBA in PPG, 17th in FG%, 11th in 3PA, 15th in 3P%, 8th in FTA, 30th in turnovers and 8th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Jazz are 20th in points per 100 possessions, 14th in effective field goal percentage, 30th in turnover percentage, 3rd in offensive rebounding percentage, and 4th in free throw rate.

On defense, Utah ranks 26th in PPG allowed, 26th in field goal percentage allowed, 27th in three-point attempts allowed, and 17th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Jazz are 28th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 22nd in effective field goal percentage allowed.

The key to this game is going to be keeping the Jazz off the boards and taking advantage of their propensity for turnovers. I think the matchup between Kessler and Clint Capela/Onyeka Okongwu is going to be key because Utah thrives on second-chance points. If Capela/Okongwu can hold their own against the seven-footer, it's going to be hard for a Jazz team down so much offensive firepower to hold pace.

Even though Collin Sexton is a difficult matchup due to his strength and shooting ability, Dyson Daniels should be able to bait him into a few turnovers. I expect Sexton to have a lot of plays as the ball-handler and Daniels will be tasked with shutting him down.

This is a game that I am very interested to see if Risacher can thrive in. The Jazz really don't have a lot of good wing defenders and they will be focused on not letting Young beat them. If they decide to employ that strategy, I expect that Risacher will be able to take advantage of a lack of defensive attention on him.

On defense, the Hawks should be able to shoot the Jazz out of this game. Getting back Bogdanovic means they will have their best two high-volume shooters (Hunter and Bogdanovic) in the lineup and ready to go against a defense that does not have the personnel to limit them. Mathews has also re-integrated himself into the lineup after struggling for a significant portion of the year and looked better as a quick-trigger shooter from deep.

Injury Report

Bogdan Bogdanovic (injury management; left lower leg contusion) and Trae Young (right Achilles tendinitis are both probable, but Jalen Johnson (right shoulder inflammation) is out, along with Larry Nance Jr. (fractured fourth metacarpal, right hand).

For Utah, Jordan Clarkson (left plantar fasciitis), John Collins (personal) and Keyonte George (left heel inflammation) are out while Lauri Markkanen is questionable with low back spasms.

Odds

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, the Hawks are 6.5 point favorites tonight vs Utah and the total is set at 237.5.

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Zaccharie Risacher

F - Vit Krejci

C - Clint Capela

Jazz:

G - Collin Sexton

G - Isiah Collier

F - Micah Potter

F - Johnny Juzang

C - Walker Kessler

Related Links

Which Atlanta Hawk is Most Likely to be Dealt At The Trade Deadline

2025 NBA Mock Draft: Hawks Take Potential Franchise Center In The First Round

New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Jimmy Butler to the Orlando Magic, Hawks Land Backup Point Guard