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

Atlanta wraps up their preseason with a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tonight

Oct 16, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) defends Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) in the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

After losing to the Miami Heat last night, the Atlanta Hawks are going on the road and playing their preseason finale tonight in Oklahoma City.

After resting guys last night, don't be surprised to see the Hawks do it again. Last night, Zaccharie Risacher, De'Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Dominick Barlow, and Seth Lundy were all held out. With it being a back-to-back and the preseason finale, I would not be surprised if Quin Snyder held some guys out tonight, like Jalen Johnson or Trae Young. Clint Capela left last night due to right ankle soreness and it would be a surprise to see him play tonight.

Now, it should be noted that Miami was on a back-to-back last night and they still played their main players. I don't know that that is what Atlanta is going to do tonight, but it is not impossible.

Last night was a tale of two halves for the Hawks. Jalen Johnson looked phenomenal in the first two quarters, scoring 21 points on 8-9 shooting and 4-4 from three. Again, I don't expect Johnson to play tonight, but he has looked the part in the preseason and his stock is way up going into the regular season.

Trae Young played well last night in 17 minutes, scoring 10 points and dishing out 10 assists. Like Johnson, I would be surprised if Young played tonight. He has played in every preseason game so far and played well.

Vit Krejci got the start at the small forward spot with Hunter and Risacher out, but he did not make a huge impact, scoring only three points in the first half and finishing with five for the game. It has been a mixed bag so far this preseason for Krejci. He shot the ball well in Monday;s game, but has struggled on the defensive end. If Risacher and Hunter don't play, Krejci seems like a lock to start and play.

The center position is actually going to be interesting tonight. Assuming Capela, Barlow and Okongwu are out, that would leave only Nance and Mouhamed Gueye (who is not really a center) as the centers on the team. With it being the final preseason game, I would imagine that Snyder does not really want to play Nance a lot of minutes. Gueye has still looked raw so far in the preseason, but this would be the perfect setting for him to play a lot of minutes.

Kobe Bufkin has had an up and down preseason, but the flashes have been there on defense. It has been on offense (particularly shooting) where he has struggled. He finished with 15 points, four assists and four rebounds last night and if Trae were to not play tonight, look for Bufkin to start.

Other guys that could/should see plenty of action tonight include Garrison Matthews, David Roddy, Kevon Harris (who scored 13 points in the 4th quarter), Daeqwon Plowden, and Keaton Wallace.

This is also Oklahoma City's preseason finale and because of that, it is impossible to predict how they are going to play guys tonight. This is arguably the deepest team in the league so some marquee players will play, but how many and how long is the question. We do know that Isaiah Hartenstein is going to be out tonight for the Thunder and will be out for the next few weeks.

Thunder say Isaiah Hartenstein suffered a small, non-displaced fracture in his left hand in Tuesday’s preseason game in Denver and will be re-evaluated in five-to-six weeks.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 17, 2024

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

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

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Where to Watch: Bally Sports Southeast and NBA TV

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be underdogs on the road tonight, as they are currently 7.0 point underdogs according to the latest odds from the Fanduel Sportsbook and the over/under is set at 219.5

Projected Starting Lineups (Note: It is the preseason and the starting lineup could be anything. I would not be surprised if some guys sit for rest):

Hawks:

G- Trae Young

G-Dyson Daniels

F- De'Andre Hunter

F- Jalen Johnson

C- Clint Capela

Thunder:

G-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

G- Alex Caruso

F- Lou Dort

F- Jalen Williams

C-Chet Holmgren

Additional Links:

Atlanta Hawks Basketball: Big Takeaways From Tonight's Preseason Game vs Miami

Atlanta Hawks Ascending Star Player Left Off Of ESPN's Top 100-Players List

State Farm Arena Takes Home Medals at 2024 GOAL Invitational