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

Can the Hawks find a way to upset the Thunder on the road tonight?

Oct 25, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry (30) plays defense against Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks are off to a 2-0 start this season, but they are going to face their biggest test of the season tonight in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were considered to be one of the NBA title favorites coming into the season and they have lived up to that hype through two games. Oklahoma City blew out Denver on Thursday and had a convincing win vs the Bulls last night. While they are on a back-to-back, it is early in the season and it is not going to be as big of a rest advantage for the Hawks tonight as it would be later in the year.

So how do these two teams matchup?

Game Preview

Trae Young is off to a fantastic start to the season and has two straight games of at least 30 points and10 assists. In the game against Charlotte on Friday, Young had 38 points and 10 assists on 11-24 shooting and he also had eight rebounds. He is going to be facing one of the league's best defenses tonight and the Thunder have a lot of options to try and guard Young.

The story of the Hawks season so far has been Dyson Daniels. Daniels has played incredible defense and is also playing well on the offensive end, scoring 18 points on 8-10 shooting. He will be tasked with guarding MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Daniels had some early fouls in the game that caused him to have to sit in the first half and he is going to have to watch that tonight.

De'Andre Hunter was fantastic in the game against the Hornets on Friday. He scored 24 points on 7-14 and looked comfortable with the ball and was aggressive on offense. Hunter is going to continue to be in the starting lineup and he may be guarding Jalen Williams tonight. After a tough preseason, Hunter has bounced back nicely and is off to a good start.

The Hawks are going to need Jalen Johnson to step up to the challenge tonight. Johnson has gotten off to a slow start so far this season, but that is by his standards. He scored 16 points on 4-15 shooting and he was 1-4 from three. He has not shot the ball super well this season, but it has been only two games.

The center position has seen Onyeka Okongwu play more minutes in each game and that may continue tonight. The Thunder are a better matchup for Okongwu and I think he is going to play more than Capela. Okongwu did not have another 28 point game, but he was still impactful vs Charlotte. Will this be the first game that Larry Nance plays this season?

The bench is still going to be without Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kobe Bufkin. On Friday vs Charlotte, Zaccharie Risacher, Vit Krejci, Garrison Matthews, and Okongwu came off the bench. In terms of scoring, no player off the bench hit double digits, but they found ways to impact the game.

Risacher has still not hit his stride so far in two games and has struggled shooting the ball. However, he has played well on defense and is doing a lot of things such as defending and rebounding. Risacher is getting open shots and has shown a willingness to shoot them. It won't be long before the stats show up.

The Thunder played last night and have not released their injury report.

GIlgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Lou Dort, and Chet Holmgren were the starters for the Thunder against the Bulls last night. Gilgeous Alexander (23 points), Williams (24), and Holmgren (21) led the way for the team. Oklahoma City has a very deep bench and with them being on a back-to-back, you could see a lot of guys play tonight.

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Where to Watch: Bally Sports Southeast

Injury Report

Dominick Barlow (not with team), Bogdan Bogdanovic (right hamstring tendinopathy), Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder subluxation), Seth Lundy (left ankle sprain), and Cody Zeller (not with team) are all out for the Hawks tonight.

Odds

The Hawks are going to be underdogs on the road tonight according to Fanduel Sportsbook. Atlanta will be a 9.5-point underdogs against the Thunder and the total is set for 229.5.

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G-Dyson Daniels

F- De'Andre Hunter

F- Jalen Johnson

C- Clint Capela

Thunder:

G-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

G- Cason Wallace

F- Jalen Williams

F- Lou Dort

C-Chet Holmgren

Additional Links

Injury Report: Hawks vs Thunder

Biggest Takeaways From The Atlanta Hawks 125-120 Win Against the Hornets