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

The Atlanta Hawks have already clinched the play-in, but their chances of claiming the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference appear to be on thin ice. After a blowout home loss to the Knicks without Jalen Brunson, Atlanta is 1.5 games back of the Orlando Magic for the seventh seed and only 1 game above the Bulls for the eighth seed. There's a possibility they could end up as the ninth seed, which would require them to win two straight play-in games to make the playoffs. It's a tenuous position to be in.

Fortunately, the Hawks have a gift-wrapped opportunity to win tonight against the Utah Jazz. Even before they actively tried to lose games, the Jazz were one of the worst teams in the NBA. They are firmly in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, and every win actively hurts their chances of landing the Duke phenom. Therefore, the Hawks should be able to win this one relatively easily. However, it's worth remembering that the Jazz almost upset the Hawks during their last game on January 7th. The Hawks needed a Trae Young game-winning three to beat Utah. It would be very concerning if Atlanta put out a similar effort tonight or if they drop the game like they did against the Nets. This is a must-win game - plain and simple.

Game Preview

Coming into tonight's game, the Hawks are 5th in the NBA in PPG, 14th in FG%, 15th in 3PA, 20th in 3P%, 3rd in FTA, 26th in turnovers, and 14th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 17th in points per 100 possessions, 17th in effective field goal percentage, 21st in turnover percentage, 12th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 8th in free throw rate.

Currently, the Hawks rank 27th in PPG allowed, 29th in field goal percentage allowed, 14th in three-point attempts allowed, and 28th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 18th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

The Jazz put up a lot of threes and compete for rebounds, but that has not translated into a good offense. They're 21st in points per game, 22nd in FG%, 7th in 3PA, 22nd in 3P%, 9th in FTA, 30th in turnovers, and 6th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Utah is 25th in points per 100 possessions, 21st in effective field goal percentage, 30th in turnover percentage, 4th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 13th in free throw rate.

As expected, the Jazz's defense is one of the worst units in the NBA. They are 29th in PPG allowed, 26th in field goal percentage allowed, 30th in three-point attempts allowed, and 12th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Utah is 29th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 24th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Although the Knicks have one of the more exploitable perimeter defenses in basketball, it was another terrible shooting game for Atlanta. They only shot 31.1% from deep despite shooting sixteen more threes than the Knicks. Still, New York made more threes (15) than Atlanta did. Three-point shooting just isn't a strong point of this roster and they have to capitalize on the easy matchups they get. Fortunately, they can do exactly that tonight. The Jazz allow teams to get a ton of threes up and although they're not bad at stopping them, there are enough shooters on this team for Atlanta to improve on 31.1% from deep.

Isaiah Collier has had a reasonably solid rookie year as a passer - he broke John Stockton's franchise record for assists by a rookie and he's averaging 6.2 assists per game to 2.9 turnovers. That's a fairly solid mark for such a young point guard, but he has a tough challenge against Dyson Daniels tonight. Daniels is coming off one of his quieter games against the Knicks and struggled against O.G Anunoby. He'll certainly get his chances on Collier and it should result in a return to his normal steal numbers. Utah is last in the league in terms of turnovers, so a opportunistic defender like Daniels should be rewarded.

Yesterday's game also marked one of the worst games of the year from Trae Young. The star point guard snapped a seven-game streak of double-digit assists and finished with 16 points on 5-15 shooting. He is the main catalyst for Atlanta's offense and they often go as he does. If Young isn't efficient or dishing out enough dimes to compensate, this team often lacks any sort of offensive juice. However, it should be noted that Utah is 9th in points conceded to guards and 11th in that metric since the trade deadline. That's likely due to Collin Sexton being a solid individual defender and Johnny Juzang taking strides in that area as well.

After a rough game against the Knicks where he was held to six points, Onyeka Okongwu draws a softer matchup against Kyle Fillipowski. Okongwu usually has trouble with Walker Kessler, but Fillipowski's inexperience has shown up in the Jazz being the NBA's worst shot-blocking team since the trade deadline. That isn't to say Filipowski can be dismissed - he has the third-most double-doubles among all rookies and was excellent throughout March as a scorer for Utah. However, he's scored 15 points on 6-29 shooting in his last two games while going 0-12 from deep. Atlanta doesn't have a very good perimeter defense, but they should be able to keep the Duke product from making a impact in this game.

While the Jazz struggle to shoot well from deep as a team, that isn't to say there aren't quality shooters on the roster. Brice Sensabaugh has been one of the best shooters in the league since the All-Star break and he's currently 20th in the NBA with a sterling 41.9% from deep on four attempts a game. That's better than names like Kristaps Porzingis, Georges Niang, Michael Porter Jr and Klay Thompson. Sensabaugh getting hot would be very bad for the Hawks' chances in this one.

Injury Report

Since the Hawks are on a back-to-back, their injury report won't be released until later today.

Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkannen, Jordan Clarkson, John Collins and Cody Williams are all out for the Jazz while K.J Martin is questionable.

Odds

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, the Hawks are 12.5 point favorites against the Jazz tonight and the total is set at 243.5.

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

Jazz

G - Isaiah Collier

G - Collin Sexton

F - Johnny Juzang

F - Brice Sensabaugh

C- Kyle Fillipowski

Additional Links

2025 NBA Draft: Four Final Four Prospects The Atlanta Hawks Should Be Watching Closely

Terance Mann Excited For His Role As the Assistant GM For FSU While Embracing Friendly Competition With Trae Young

Red-Hot Shooting Day For The Knicks Leads to Blowout Loss for The Hawks at Home