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

Atlanta hosts the Lakers tonight at State Farm Arena

For the first time this season, the Hawks and the Lakers are going to face each other. 

Both Atlanta and Los Angeles have been two of the most disappointing teams in the NBA. Both teams are on the fringe of the playoff conversation, a place that neither franchise wanted to be. They have also been linked together when it comes to trade rumors ahead of next Thursday's trade deadline. Both teams could use a win tonight to bolster their postseason hopes. 

Los Angeles played in a game against the Rockets last night and tonight's game against the Hawks will be their third game in the last four days. While Lakers forward LeBron James said he plans to play in this game tonight, keep an eye on the injury report for any Lakers players who might sit this game out due to rest. 

The Hawks snapped their four-game losing streak on Sunday with a last-second win over the Toronto Raptors, a win the Hawks really needed. Atlanta has injury questions of their own leading up to this game. Dejounte Murray missed the last game with right hamstring soreness and is questionable tonight. 

De'Andre Hunter has not played in a game since December 20th, but he has now been upgraded to questionable with right knee inflammation. Atlanta announced on Christmas Day that Hunter underwent a non-surgical procedure, but the Hawks did not give a specific date for his return:

"Forward De’Andre Hunter, who has missed the last two games, underwent an MRI on Saturday at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex. Hunter will undergo a non-surgical procedure tomorrow to address right knee inflammation. He will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks and his status will be updated as appropriate."

There have not been many updates on Hunter since, but he has a chance of playing tonight against the Lakers, though I would assume he will be on a minutes restriction of sorts. Atlanta has missed Hunter and his defense and if he is close to full strength, he will be a huge addition. 

So who wins tonight's game? Let's break it down.

Game Preview

Can the Hawks beat LeBron James and the Lakers? / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

This could be the first time that the Hawks are at full strength in quite some time. Even if Hunter does not play many minutes, Atlanta will be the healthiest it has been if he plays and Murray is available tonight. 

If one or both players are out, Atlanta still has point guard Trae Young and he is the catalyst for one of the NBA's highest-scoring offenses. Atlanta is 4th in the NBA in PPG, 24th in field goal percentage, 7th in three-point attempts, 19th in three-point percentage, 4th in free throw attempts, 8th in rebounding, and 17th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 12th in points per 100 possessions, 20th in effective field goal percentage, 14th in turnover percentage, 3rd in offensive rebounding percentage, and 6th in free throw rate. 

Atlanta will need to shoot the ball better in this game than they did against the Raptors. The Hawks shot 6-27 (22%), but four of those makes came from one player, Bogdan Bogdanovic. As good of a game as Saddiq Bey had, he was 0-6 from three, Trae Young was 1-4, and the bench did not have a good night shooting. They were fortunate to be playing such a shorthanded and average team last night or else their poor shooting might hurt them. The Lakers are near the bottom of the league in three-point attempts allowed. 

Los Angeles has been known as an elite defensive team since James and Anthony Davis teamed up, but that is not the case this year. The Lakers are 19th in PPG allowed, 15th in field goal percentage, 21st in three-point percentage allowed, and 28th in three-point attempts allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Lakers are 13th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 17th in effective field goal percentage. 

Young could have a big game tonight. Both of the Lakers starting guards, D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves, are poor defenders and I would bet that Young and Murray if he plays, will certainly try to exploit these two players on that end of the court. 

Jalen Johnson, Saddiq Bey, and Clint Capela are also going to play big roles tonight. The Lakers are 29th in offensive rebounding percentage and those are three of the Hawks's best rebounders. Atlanta is one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA and that is one of the weaknesses of the Lakers. 

If Hunter does return and Murray plays, it will help bolster the Hawks bench, which has been struggling. 

The biggest question will be how much can the Hawks stop LeBron and the Lakers. Just two games ago, Luka Doncic torched the Hawks' defense for 73 points and while the Lakers have offensive problems, the Hawks's defense has not provided much resistance against anyone. 

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

James might be getting up there in age, but he is still one of the league's best players and is capable of having a huge night. This season, he is averaging 25.0 PPG, 7.7 APG, and 7.4 RPG. His teammate, Anthony Davis, is having one of the best seasons of his career. He is averaging 24.9 PPG and 12.1 RPG, while also averaging 2.3 BPG. 

While those two players are the big stars, D'Angelo Russell is having a nice season as well. He is averaging 17.3 PPG and 6.1 APG while shooting 47.8% from the field and 42.1% from three. His defense leaves a lot to be desired, but he is having a bounce-back offensive season. 

The numbers for the Lakers don't jump off the page. They are 14th in PPG, 7th in field goal percentage, 30th in three-point attempts, 15th in three-point percentage, 7th in free throw attempts, 22nd in rebounding, and 23rd in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Lakers are 19th in points per 100 possessions, 11th in effective field goal percentage, 20th in turnover percentage, 29th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 8th in free throw rate. 

The numbers for the Hawks' defense are hard to look at. They are 29th in PPG allowed, 28th in field goal percentage allowed, 18th in three-point attempts allowed, and 28th 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. 

Injury Report

Dejounte Murray is being listed as questionable with right hamstring soreness for tonight's game vs the Lakers and De'Andre Hunter is questionable with right knee inflammation. Mouhamed Gueye (right low back stress fracture), Bruno Fernando (Left Lower Back Spasms), and Vit Krejci (left shoulder subluxation) are all out for Atlanta.

The Lakers have not yet released their injury report for tonight's game. 

Viewing 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

LeBron James Plans To Be Available For Tuesday's Matchup With the Hawks

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G- Dejounte Murray

F- Saddiq Bey

F- Jalen Johnson

C- Clint Capela

If Murray is out, expect Bogdan Bogdanovic to start. If Hunter is cleared to play, I would not expect him to start. 

Lakers:

G- D'Angelo Russell

G- Austin Reaves

F- LeBron James

F- Taurean Prince

C-Anthony Davis

Player to Watch on the Hawks- D'Andre Hunter (if he plays)

We don't know if Hunter is going to play yet, but if he does, it is going to be interesting to see how much he plays and how he looks. The Hawks need Hunter and his defense in the lineup and while I don't expect him to play heavy minutes if does suit up, his minutes will be critical. 

Player to Watch on the Lakers- LeBron James

This is an easy answer, but James played 37 minutes in the loss to the Rockets last night and the Lakers don't have enough on offense for him to have an off game. Whether it is scoring or setting his teammates up, James is the most important player on this team. It will be interesting to see if he still plays heavy minutes. 

Prediction

All things equal, the Lakers are a better team than the Hawks and I would pick them to win. All things are not equal though. Atlanta has a decisive advantage in rest and that can be the biggest factor on some nights. Los Angeles can certainly win this game, but they are not a perfect team and are coming off of a tough loss last night. The Hawks get their second straight win tonight and send the Lakers record below .500. 

Final Score: Hawks 116, Lakers 112

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