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

In their final game of the season, the Hawks get another look at the Orlando Magic, their opponent in the upcoming play-in tournament.

Apr 8, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris (14) shoots a three point basket against Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The NBA regular season is essentially over, but there is one game left to play for the Atlanta Hawks before they play the Orlando Magic in the first round of the play-in tournament on Tuesday. Coincidentally, today's final game is also against the Magic. Neither team will give much of their gameplan away in this game and it is highly probable that both teams will be resting their key players.

Atlanta got to this point by clinching the eighth seed in a 124-110 win over the 76ers. On offense, they were carried by the duo of Trae Young and Caris LeVert. Young finished the night with 36 points (23 in the second half) on 10-22 shooting from the field and 6-13 from three. LeVert has been a consistent source of second-unit offense for Atlanta and the 76ers game was no different. He ended with 31 points on 12-15 shooting, including hitting four of his five three-pointers. They could have put themselves into contention for the seventh seed by beating the Magic last week, but the Hawks were not able to get enough stops to make that a reality. In their most recent matchup, Orlando shot 41.2% from deep after struggling to shoot threes all season and they also pose a physical matchup that the Hawks do not have an easy answer for. Without Jalen Johnson, Atlanta does not have a consistent defender on Paolo Banchero and they also need to devote defensive attention to slowing down Franz Wagner. The Magic are going to be a tough out for Atlanta on Tuesday, but it's unlikely that either one will play in today's game.

Therefore, it's hard to take much away from the results of this game. The most important thing is for Atlanta to get through this game unscathed and bring a mostly healthy lineup into Tuesday's game.

Game Preview

Coming into tonight's game, the Hawks are 5th in the NBA in PPG, 14th in FG%, 15th in 3PA, 18th in 3P%, 2nd in FTA, 26th in turnovers, and 14th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 14th in points per 100 possessions, 15th in effective field goal percentage, 22nd in turnover percentage, 11th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 7th in free throw rate.

Currently, the Hawks rank 27th in PPG allowed, 28th in field goal percentage allowed, 16th in three-point attempts allowed, and 28th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 19th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Although it didn't show up in their last game against the Hawks, the absence of Jalen Suggs has further comprised the spacing of Orlando's offense. They're 28th in points per game, 27th in FG%, 22nd in 3PA, 30th in 3P%, 5th in FTA, 16th in turnovers, and 27th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Orlando is 26th in points per 100 possessions, 29th in effective field goal percentage, 20th in turnover percentage, 13th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 2nd in free throw rate.

The Magic have an excellent defense to fall back on when their offense is struggling. They are 1st in PPG allowed, 15th in field goal percentage allowed, 1st in three-point attempts allowed, and 20th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Orlando is 2nd in points allowed per 100 possessions and 10th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

One player who could get a lot of run in today's game is forward Mo Gueye. Gueye has been a starter for the Hawks since Johnson's injury and he flashes high-level ability as a defender and rebounder. The consistency isn't there, but nights like his double-double against the Philadelphia 76ers are a glimpse into what he can give Atlanta. He scored 10 points and pulling in a career-high 18 rebounds. Gueye has also swung important games for the Hawks, the best example being hitting four threes against the Milwaukee Bucks to finish with 15 points and 11 rebounds in a upset win for Atlanta. Gueye has been thrust into a bigger role than planned, but he is managing it well and should be critical in the Orlando matchup. His size and defensive ability is helpful against big wings like Banchero in spurts and he gives the Hawks some ability to rest Onyeka Okongwu.

Even though most of Atlanta's usual starting lineup has been designated as questionable for this matchup, Zaccharie Risacher appears ready to play in some capacity during today's game. This could be a nice confidence builder for the rookie heading into the biggest game of his young career. Risacher has been up and down at times this season, but he's certainly on a upswing. Since the All-Star Break, the French wing has averaged 14.9 points and 4.1 rebounds on 50/40.4/71% shooting splits. That 40.4% mark from deep is on 5.4 attempts per game, so it is a fairly healthy sample size. He still isn't the most consistent player and he benefits greatly from having Trae Young's gravity to work off of, but he'll get a chance to take a more active role in the offense today. Even though it'll likely be for only a few minutes, that type of experience can only help him and gives Hawks fans a somewhat rare look into Risacher's full skillset as a rookie.

It goes without saying that the Hawks are going to give a heavy dosage of minutes towards Keaton Wallace, Dominick Barlow and Daeqwon Plowden. While this is only one game and none of these players are going to be contributors in any postseason setting, it is still another evaluation opportunity for the Hawks ahead of the offseason.

Injury Report

Dyson Daniels (rest), Caris LeVert (right knee; injury management), Georges Niang (rest), Onyeka Okongwu (left knee; injury management), and Trae Young (right Achilles tendinitis; injury management) are all questionable.

For Orlando, Jalen Suggs and Mo Wagner are both out for tonight's game due to season-ending injuries. Cory Joseph (left knee soreness), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (left knee strain), Franz Wagner (right ankle soreness), Paolo Banchero (right knee soreness) and Wendell Carter Jr. (right hip contusion) are all questionable.

Odds

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, the Hawks are 1.5 point favorites against the Magic tonight and the total is set at 220.5.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER. 

Projected starting lineups

Hawks:

G - Keaton Wallace

G - Daeqwon Plowden

F - Garrison Mathews

F - Mouhamed Gueye

C - Dominick Barlow

Magic

G - Gary Harris

G - Cole Anthony

F - Caleb Houstan

F - Tristan Da Silva

C - Goga Bitadze

Additional Links

Three Biggest Takeaways From Atlanta's 124-110 Win Over Philadelphia

Atlanta Hawks Clinch No. 8 Spot in The Eastern Conference With 124-110 Victory Over Philadelphia

2025 NBA Playoff Tracker: Eastern Conference Play-In Matchups Officially Set, Dates, and Times