Asa Newell Joins Hawks Starting Five With Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels Inactive

The Hawks had to make some adjustments with their starting five with Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson out for tonight's game

Feb 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Asa Newell (14) shoots against the Utah Jazz in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks took a tough loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night and they will try to bounce back and finish strong with two games to go until the All-Star break. Tonight, the Hawks will take on one of the NBA's most talented teams on the road, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Minnesota is a hard team to figure out. They are perceived to be one of the best teams in the NBA, but they have already been blown out by the Hawks once this season, not to mention they are coming into the game on a two-game losing streak, with the losses coming to the Pelicans and the Clippers. They are on the second half of a back-to-back and are a very beatable team.

The Hawks are going to be without Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson tonight though, which gives way to the Hawks starting rookie Asa Newell, as well as CJ McCollum:

G- Nickeil Alexander-Walker

G- CJ McCollum

F- Zaccharie Risacher

F- Asa Newell

C- Onyeka Okongwu

Hawks looking for an upset

Feb 7, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) shoots against the Charlotte Hornets in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Monday's meeting with Minnesota marks the second and final time these two teams will face off this season. In their first meeting on 12/31, the Hawks took a 126-102 win. Jalen Johnson secured 34 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and two steals in the win, while Dyson Daniels had a near triple-double of 11 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, in addition to two steals and two blocks in 28 minutes. Atlanta enters Monday's game having won 10 of its last 15 contests against Minnesota.

In the Hawks most recent outing against Charlotte on 2/7, the club dished out 30 assists for the 35th time this season. Atlanta's 35 30-assist performances are tied for the most in the NBA this season and lead all Eastern Conference teams. It's also the second-most such games in a single season in franchise history (39, 2024-25). The Hawks are handing out a league-best 30.8 apg this season, on pace to be the fourth-most assists per game in a single season in NBA history.

Former Wolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker dished out a career-high 10 assists against Charlotte on 2/7, in addition to 13 points, two rebounds, one steal, and one block in 38 minutes of action. In addition to averaging career-bests of 20.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals this season, Alexander-Walker is also averaging a career-high 3.7 assists. He's handed out five or more assists in a career-long four straight games, averaging 6.8 helpers over that time. The Virginia Tech product owns 15 games with at least 5+ assists this season, the most such games in a single season in his career.

Zaccharie Risacher finished Saturday's Southeast Division battle against Charlotte with 18 points on 7-10 shooting from the floor, in addition to a perfect 4-4 mark from deep, three rebounds, and a career-high tying three blocks in 24 minutes. Risacher is just the third player in the NBA this season to tally 15+ points on at least .700 FG% and 1.000 3FG% in fewer than 25 minutes, joining Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller (min. 10 FGA).

Onyeka Okongwu chipped in 16 points on 6-11 shooting from the field, including a 4-7 mark from three-point land, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 31 minutes. Okongwu enters Monday's outing with 98 three-pointers this season, the third-most makes by a center this season, trailing only Naz Reid (133) and Myles Turner (105).