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

Can Atlanta snap its three-game losing streak tonight when they face Orlando?

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Feb 25, 2024 10:40 AM EST

In this story:

The Hawks are back in action tonight against the Orlando Magic and with a win, Atlanta will win the season series against their division rival. They are going to have to do so without their superstar point guard though. Trae Young is going to miss tonight's game with a left fifth-finger injury and that is going to be a big blow to the Hawks's chances of winning this game.

This is going to be a very tough position for Orlando though despite all of Atlanta's problems.

The Magic are on the second night of a back-to-back and this is their third game in four days. This is their third straight road game since returning from the All-Star Break and that is a tough schedule spot for any team. The Hawks have played games without Young this year and won them, but they will miss him against a top-defensive team like Orlando.

So how do these two teams match up?

Game Preview

On paper, this would be a matchup of one of the league's best offenses vs one of the league's best defenses. Young being out for this game puts a dent in that a little bit, but Atlanta still has Dejounte Murray, Jalen Johnson, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Any of those guys could have a big game and they are going to have to with Young out.

Murray is coming off one of his best games of the season, nearly notching a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. He will be leading the offense tonight, but the Hawks are going to need a strong supporting game from the others around him.

Bogdanovic was 5-17 from the field and 3-11 from three in the last game vs the Raptors. He is likely going to get the start tonight vs the Magic and play big minutes.

Clint Capela was able to come back from his injury last game but was only able to play 19 minutes. Bruno Fernando and Jalen Johnson shared the backup center minutes and if Capela is not able to play more minutes tonight, I would expect to see something similar.

De'Andre Hunter has been coming off the bench for the Hawks since coming back from his injury and he has been playing fantastic. After a bit of a slow start against the Raptors, Hunter really got going in the second half. He finished with 22 points on 8-17 shooting and 2-7 from three. 15 of his 22 points came in the second half and he shot 6-10 from the field. As long as he is playing this well, it might be the smart move to keep bringing him off the bench.

Atlanta comes into this game 4th in PPG, 23rd in field goal percentage, 6th in three-point attempts, 22nd in three-point percentage, 5th in free throw attempts, 1st in offensive rebounding, and 14th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 9th in points per 100 possessions, 18th in effective field goal percentage, 8th in turnover percentage, 4th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 9th in free throw rate.

Orlando is one of the NBA's best defenses and they are going to make life difficult for the Hawks. The Magic are 6th in PPG, 19th in field goal percentage allowed, 10th in three-point percentage allowed, and 6th in defensive rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Magic are 6th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 16th in effective field goal percentage.

Keep an eye on the injury report for Orlando today. They don't have any major injuries, but on the second night of a back-to-back, they could decide to rest players.

The offense for Orlando is near the bottom of the league, but they are going up against arguably the worst defense in the NBA. The Magic are 26th in PPG, 15th in field goal percentage, 28th in three-point attempts, 26th in three-point percentage, 14th in offensive rebounding, and 22nd in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Orlando is 23rd in points per 100 possessions, 21st in effective field goal percentage, 24th in turnover percentage, 7th in offensive rebounding, and 3rd in free throw rate.

The offense for Orlando runs through Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Both of those players appear to be budding stars and in Banchero's case, a future superstar. The question for the Magic will be what they get offensively out of their guards. Jalen Suggs and Gary Harris will likely start if Markelle Fultz is unable to play and how well the Orlando offense plays might depend on what they get from these two. Cole Anthony will also play a big role tonight.

The Hawks' defensive numbers have been atrocious all year long. They are 29th in PPG allowed, 29th in field goal percentage allowed, 28th in three-point percentage allowed, and 20th in defensive rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 27th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 30th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Injury Report

Trae Young, Onyeka Okongwu, and Mouhamed Gueye are out tonight for the Hawks.

Viewing and Betting Information

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

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, Bally Sports Southeast

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be underdogs at home tonight, as they are currently 1.5 point underdogs and the over/under is at 226.5 according to the latest odds from the SI Sportsbook