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

The Hawks have an excellent chance to rebound against a rebuilding Nets after a disappointing loss to the Clippers.

Oct 23, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles against Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks are back in action tonight against a rebuilding Nets team that has been one of the worst in the NBA for the entire season. This has the potential to be a get-right game - which is sorely needed for the Hawks after getting embarassed against the Clippers on Friday.

As has been the case for many of their losses this season, Atlanta lost oontrol of a game that they had a lead in by squandering their chances in a single quarter. For Friday's game, it was the third quarter. The Hawks only scored eight points in the third quarter and that allowed the Clippers offense to take over. They scored 35 points and made the Hawks look uncompetitive in a very similar manner to the earlier iteration of this matchup.

The Nets just lost their leading scorer in Cam Thomas to a hamstring injury that will sideline him for the rest of the season. Even with him, they have been very uncompetitive in the second half of the season and look to be a firm contender for selecting Cooper Flagg at the top of the 2025 NBA Draft. However, they almost upset the Celtics last night in a tight 115-113 loss. This is a great opportunity for Atlanta to keep their slim hold onto the No. 7 seed and they cannot squander it with a flat performance. The Magic are only 1.5 games back, but they play the Cleveland Cavaliers today and the Cavaliers have been one of the best teams in the NBA all season. The Hawks are also 4.5 games back of the Pistons and while it's unlikely, there's a slim chance Atlanta can get the No. 6 seed.

Game Preview

Coming into tonight's game, the Hawks are 5th in the NBA in PPG, 15th in FG%, 15th in 3PA, 20th in 3P%, 2nd in FTA, 26th in turnovers, and 12th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 18th in points per 100 possessions, 18th in effective field goal percentage, 21st in turnover percentage, 13th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 5th in free throw rate.

Atlanta's defense ranks 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 16th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

This season, the Nets have really struggled on offense. They are 29th in the NBA in PPG, 28th in FG%, 11th in 3PA, 26th in 3P%, 24th in FTA, 21st in turnovers, and 28th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Brooklyn is 27th in points per 100 possessions, 25th in effective field goal percentage, 28th in turnover percentage, 10th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 15th in free throw rate.

Brooklyn's defense has better numbers, but it's still not a formidable unit. The Nets are 10th in the NBA in PPG, 27th in FG% allowed, 4th in three-point attempts allowed, and 24th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Brooklyn is 24th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 27th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Trae Young did not look like himself in the loss to the Clippers on Friday. The Hawks star point guard finished with scored 17 points and seven assists, but he was mostly absent through the first three quarters. Kris Dunn did an excellent job of guarding him and he just missed shots that normally go in for him. It was an off night for Young, but he'll draw a much softer matchup against Brooklyn. In their most recent game against the Celtics, the Nets allowed Jrue Holiday to accrue 11 points and 12 assists. It should be very easy for Young to eclipse those numbers.

Although Dyson Daniels has been a much better player on offense for the Hawks this season, Friday wasn't a statement game. He finished with six points on 2-12 shooting and missed all of his threes. He also had three steals, but James Harden got the better of him with a near triple-double. Harden had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while serving as a consistent offensive force for Los Angeles. Daniels couldn't stop him, but he'll have a much easier time against D'Angelo Russell. Russell has really struggled on offense this season and is currently coming off a 11-point game against the Celtics where he shot 37.5% from the field.

While most of Atlanta's roster did not have a great game against the Clippers, Zaccharie Risacher did. Risacher finished with 15 points and seven rebounds while also recording two steals. He also made his first four attempts from the field consecutively and looks like a much more comfortable player on that end of the floor. Risacher will probably draw Cameron Johnson on defense tonight, which is not an easy matchup considering that Johnson is a very solid defender. That being said, he continues to get better throughout the season and it would not be a surprise if he has a big impact against the Nets.

The Hawks' bench did not have a great night on Friday. Although Dominick Barlow finished with 10 points and Caris LeVert had 12 points on 4-9 shooting, one of Atlanta's most reliable bench pieces in Georges Niang finished with zero points after missing all three of his attempts in deep. The duo of Niang and Terance Mann finished with a combined plus/minus of -39 for the game and they were not able to give Atlanta much in their minutes. Put simply, Niang needs to be a bigger part of the scoring against Brooklyn. He's going to face very little resistance against one of the worst perimeter defenses in the NBA.

Onyeka Okongwu had 18 points and 10 rebounds, but Ivica Zubac had a very solid game against him on Friday. Okongwu did not do a great job of holding up in the paint on defense. He'll match up against Nic Claxton tonight, who has been one of the best rim protectors in the NBA for most of his young career. He has not been the same player this year, but Claxton is still a respectable defender and it might be harder for Okongwu to make an impact in this game.

Injury Report

Trae Young (right Achilles tendinitis) is probable, Caris LeVert (right knee soreness) is questionable and Clint Capela (family reasons) is out

For Brooklyn, Cam Thomas is out with a hamstring injury, but the rest of their injury report will not be revealed until later. Check back here for an update report.

Odds

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, the Hawks are 6 point favorites against the Nets tonight and the total is set at 228.5.

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- Trae Young

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Zaccharie Risacher

F - Mouhamed Gueye

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Nets:

G - D'Angelo Russell

G - Keon Johnson

F - Ziare Williams

F - Cameron Johnson

C - Nic Claxton

Additional Links

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