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

Will Atlanta end their two-game losing streak tonight?

Atlanta is in need of a win and tonight, they are going to be facing the perfect opponent to make that happen. 

The San Antonio Spurs are currently on a 12-game losing streak and might be without their most talented player tonight. Rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama is questionable coming into this game and if he is out, that is going to create a lot of problems for the Spurs in this game. 

After a couple of losses, Atlanta could use a win. The Hawks have not looked like the same team since Jalen Johnson went out with an injury and they are struggling to find ways to replace his two-way versatility. If Wembanyama does play, it is going to be interesting to see how Atlanta decides to try and match up with him.

So who wins tonight? Let's preview the game. 

Game Preview

Will Victor Wembanyama play tonight? / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Hawks' offense vs the Spur's defense is going to be a huge mismatch in this game, even with Johnson out. Atlanta is coming into today's game 2nd in PPG, 15th in field goal percentage, 12th in three-point percentage, 3rd in offensive rebounds per game, 5th in free throw attempts per game, and 20th in turnovers. 

Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 3rd in points per 100 possessions, 12th in effective field goal percentage, 3rd in offensive rebounding percentage, 4th in free throw rate, and 17th in turnover rate. 

Trae Young had a rough game vs Cleveland, but he was playing very well before that. He started the year off not shooting the ball well, but he should not have a lot of trouble facing this terrible Spurs defense tonight. 

It is also going to be the return of Dejounte Murray to San Antonio. The former Spurs guard has been slumping as of late after a great start to the season. He is averaging 19.6 PPG, 5.4 APG, and 4.3 RPG this season. 

De'Andre Hunter came into the year as one of the most important players for the Hawks's success this season and that is going to be even more true in the absence of Johnson. Hunter is the best wing defender on the Hawks by a mile now and he has to avoid injury and foul trouble until Johnson comes back. Saddiq Bey is starting now and his defense has been very poor right now. 

San Antonio's defense is atrocious. The Spurs rank 28th in PPG allowed, 29th in field goal percentage allowed, and 29th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, San Antonio is 27th in points per 200 possessions allowed and 30th in effective field goal percentage allowed. Unless they have an off-night shooting, Atlanta should be able to score and score often vs the Spurs. 

Devin Vassell is one of the top scorers on the Spurs / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

The most interesting matchup will be between the Spur's offense and the Hawks's defense. Atlanta has a pretty bad defense, but the Spurs are not a good offensive team. 

The Spurs are 25th in PPG, 24th in field goal percentage, 27th in three-point percentage, 21st in offensive rebounding, and 28th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, San Antonio is 27th in points per 100 possessions, 24th in effective field goal percentage, 26th in turnover percentage, 23rd in offensive rebounding percentage, and 30th in free throw rate. 

There are not a lot of offensive threats on this Spurs team, but if Wembanyama does play, that is going to be a tough matchup for the Hawks and I am not sure how they try and defend him. Devin Vassell, Cedi Osman, and Doug McDermott are solid three-point shooters and if the Hawks have rotation issues, they can be effective. 

Atlanta is 26th in PPG allowed, 27th in field goal percentage allowed, and 21st in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 23rd in points per 100 possessions allowed and 25th in effective field goal percentage allowed. 

The best chance that the Spurs have to stay in this game is for them to have a big offensive game and if he plays, Wembanyama be a mismatch for the Hawks. 

Injury reports

The Spurs are listing Wembanyama as questionable to play due to right hip soreness. The Hawks will be favored in the game, but if Wembanyama is out, this game could get lopsided, even though the Hawks are not playing well right now without Jalen Johnson. 

Rookies Kobe Bufkin and Mouhamed Gueye remain out and Jalen Johnson is of course on the injury report for Atlanta. 

Viewing and Betting Information

Tip-off time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX

Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, Bally Sports Southeast

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks are currently road favorites tonight, as they are 7.5-point favorites according to the latest odds from the SI Sportsbook and the over/under is set at 246.5.

Projected Starting Lineups 

Hawks guard Dejounte Murray will be facing his old team tonight / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G- Dejounte Murray

F- De'Andre Hunter

F- Saddiq Bey

C- Clint Capela

Spurs

G- Jeremy Sochan

G- Malaki Branham

F- Keldon Johnson

F- Victor Wembanyama

C- Zach Collins

Be watching to see if Wembanyama plays tonight and if he does not, who replaces him will be huge. 

Player to Watch On the Hawks- De'Andre Hunter

I mentioned it earlier, but Hunter is a very important player for Atlanta right now. He is going to be asked to play major minutes with Johnson out and he is going to be asked to do a lot on the defensive end. It will be up to Hunter to stay out of foul trouble and provide the Hawks with enough offense. 

Player to Watch on the Spurs- Jeremy Sochan

If Wembanyama does not play, that will be a huge loss for the Spurs and they will have to find a way to generate offense. It has been an up-and-down year for Sochan as the starting point guard, but the Hawks's defense could allow him to have one of his best games of the year. Sochan is a raw player, but he has enough skill to hurt a poor Hawks defense. 

Prediction

I think the Hawks really need a win here and they will get it. Their offense is just going to be too much for San Antonio, but the Hawks will find ways to get stops on defense. Atlanta is a much better team than San Antonio and they need to show it tonight. 

Final Score: Atlanta 139, San Antonio 118

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