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

The Hawks host the Pelicans tonight and are looking for their fourth straight win

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Mar 10, 2024 7:00 AM EDT

In this story:

Most might not know this, but the Atlanta Hawks are on a three-game winning streak and they have a chance to stretch it to four tonight when they welcome the New Orleans Pelicans to State Farm Arena.

New Orleans is also on a three-game game-winning streak and looks like they are starting to round into form as the postseason gets closer. The Pelicans currently sit in 5th place in the Western Conference and might be the most underrated team in the NBA right now.

This is going to be the toughest game for the Hawks in quite some time. Given the way that most of this season has gone, nobody should fault the Hawks for the wins they have been racking up, especially since they are dealing with injuries of their own. However, it is fair to point out that the Hawks have beaten the Magic without Paolo Banchero, The Knicks without four starters, A Memphis team missing almost every one of their regular players, and Cleveland without Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, and Evan Mobley. Winning these games has kept Atlanta in the play-in race and they have a clear path forward. After they face New Orleans tonight, they have upcoming games vs the Lakers, Suns, and Clippers on a West Coast road trip, and those games will be tough in their current state.

Atlanta is still banged up heading into tonight's game. The Hawks are going to be without Trae Young (left fifth finger torn ligament), Onyeka Okongwu (left big toe sprain/sesamoiditis), Jalen Johnson (right ankle sprain), and Kobe Bufkin (left big toe sprain). Dejounte Murray (left calf contusion) is listed as probable. Keep an eye on Murray's status today.

So can the Hawks pull off an upset tonight? Let's preview the game.

Game Preview

The Hawks struggled on offense the other night when matched up with the Grizzlies and without Young, Okongwu, and Johnson, it is going to be tough for them tonight against one of the NBA's best defenses.

The good news for the Hawks is that they have Dejounte Murray and he is coming off possibly his best game as a Hawk. He was fantastic in the game vs Memphis, finishing with 41 points, seven rebounds, and six assists on 17-25 shooting.

Head Coach Snyder had high praise for Murray after the game:

"They started to trap him, then we played pick-and-roll with a small and he got some switches that he wanted. It was a cerebral game, as well as, obviously, a big game, statistically." "His buckets were big buckets."

While Murray was fantastic in the game on Friday, the supporting cast around him was less than stellar.

Bogdan Bogdanovic had 16 points on 6-14 shooting and while that is not the worst game, he is the No. 2 option in the Hawks starting lineup. Bogdanovic has not been as efficient since Young was injured and it is imperative that he steps up tonight.

Saddiq Bey has been playing well as of late, but Friday's game vs Memphis was rough. Bey finished with three points on 1-12 shooting and 0-6 from three. Bey is a key rebounder and three-point shooter for the Hawks and they need more from him.

Clint Capela had 15 points and 11 rebounds vs Memphis and while that might seem like a good stat line, Capela missed several close shots. With Johnson out, the Hawks have lost the ability to play small and must solely rely on Capela and Bruno Fernando at center.

Vit Krejci got the start in place of Johnson and played 22 minutes. He is not going to be asked to do much, but he is capable of knocking down three's when open.

The Hawks have to get more out of their bench tonight if they want to win. Garrison Matthews, Trent Forrest, and Fernando all combined for nine points and Atlanta's bench has been forced to be reliant on De'Andre Hunter for its bench production.

Coming into this game, Atlanta ranks 5th in PPG, 23rd in field goal percentage, 8th in three-point attempts, 18th in three-point percentage, 5th in free throw attempts, 1st in offensive rebounding, and 13th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks are 9th in points per 100 possessions, 20th in effective field goal percentage, 10th in turnover percentage, 5th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 8th in free throw rate.

The Hawks struggling offense is going to be up against one of the NBA's best defenses tonight. New Orleans is 8th in PPG allowed, 5th in field goal percentage allowed, and 1st in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, New Orleans is 7th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 9th in effective field goal percentage.

Atlanta has been playing strong defense, but they have been playing short-handed teams and that is not what they are up against tonight. The Pelicans have Zion Williamson running the offense and they have Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum around him. Trey Murphy II, Herb Jones, and Naji Marshall give the offense good three-point shooters and defenders.

New Orleans comes into tonight's game 14th in PPG, 8th in field goal percentage, 23rd in three-point attempts, 5th in three-point percentage, 9th in free throw attempts, 11th in offensive rebounding, and 15th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, New Orleans is 12th in points per 100 possessions, 11th in effective field goal percentage, 19th in turnover percentage, 10th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 11th in free throw rate.

The Hawks' defense has played better recently, but again, Atlanta has been playing a lot of injured teams. They are currently 28th in PPG allowed, 26th in field goal percentage allowed, and 28th in three-point percentage. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 25th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 29th in effective field goal percentage.

Injury report

The Hawks are going to be without Trae Young (left fifth finger torn ligament), Onyeka Okongwu (left big toe sprain/sesamoiditis), Jalen Johnson (right ankle sprain), and Kobe Bufkin (left big toe sprain). Dejounte Murray (left calf contusion) is listed as probable.

Viewing and Betting Information

Tip-off time: 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, Peachtree TV

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be underdogs at home tonight, as they are currently 6.5 point favorites and the over/under is at 220.5 according to the latest odds from the SI Sportsbook.