Atlanta Hawks vs Boston Celtics: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups for Today's Matchup

The Hawks are looking to avenge the blowout they suffered against the Celtics during the last matchup of these two teams.

Jan 17, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) defends Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks have a big test tonight.

After they got blown out by the Boston Celtics 11 days ago, the Hawks will be coming into this matchup with plenty of motivation. They've won three straight games and they'll be coming off a commanding win over an Indiana Pacers team fresh off of upsetting the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is also a solid time to catch the Celtics. They did just beat the Blazers, 102-94, but they went to OT against the Nets and narrowly lost against the Bulls on a clutch Kevin Huerter three-pointer.

Given that Atlanta's new additions to the roster have had time to acclimate, it's reasonable to expect that the Hawks will be a lot more competitive this time around.

By the Numbers

Nov 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) reacts after defeating the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Atlanta's offense is starting to turn a corner after another strong game against the Pacers. They are 8th in points, 10th in FG%, 5th in 3P%, 20th in FT%, 25th in rebounds (26th in OREB, 15th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 17th in turnovers per game. They're 21st in offensive rating this year.

Atlanta's defense has been a rough watch for most of the season, but they had a respectable showing against the Pacers. They rank 25th in points allowed, 23rd in FG% allowed, 14th in 3P% allowed, 26th in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 16th in blocks. They're 17th in defensive rating this year.

Since blowing out the Hawks, the Celtics have continued to play like one of the best offenses in the league even if some of their numbers aren't super impressive. They're 13th in points, 15th in FG%, 8th in 3P%, 10th in FT%, 13th in rebounds (7th in OREB, 16th in DREB), 29th in assists, and 1st in turnovers per game. While they don't have one elite skill, the combination of competence in many different areas has led them to 2nd in offensive rating.

Boston's defense took a step back this season, but it's still a very effective unit. The Celtics are 2nd in points allowed, 3rd in FG% allowed, 18th in 3P% allowed, 7th in rebounds allowed, 19th in steals, and 8th in blocks. They're 11th in defensive rating this year.

Three Reasons the Hawks Can Win This Game

Jan 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Christian Koloko (35) reacts after a call against the Phoenix Suns in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Christian Koloko has only played in three games as an Atlanta Hawk, but he's made a great first impression. Koloko has stepped up in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis to give the Hawks a seven-foot center off the bench who can do a little of everything (except for shooting threes). He's averaging only 6.3 points and 2 rebounds a game, but he's also averaged two blocks across that same span. The Hawks have an elite 105.9 defensive rating in the 38 minutes that he's played so far - tonight's game against Boston will be a big test to see if that number continues to stay excellent.

Speaking of Koloko, he isn't the only Hawk bench player who's been giving Atlanta good minutes as of late.

The second unit for the Hawks has been critical to the little winning streak Atlanta's on right now, but a key cog of it for some time now has been Luke Kennard. He looked like a dreadful free agent signing earlier this season, but he's currently riding a hot streak that vaulted him all the way up to the top spot amongst all qualify NBA players in 3P%. Kennard is currently hitting 49.3% of his threes on 3.3 attempts a game. Furthermore, his TOV% of 12.1% is the best it's been in the past two seasons and he's currently shooting at a career-high 71.5 TS%. It'd be nice if he could up his attempts a bit more, but there's no question that Kennard is playing much better as of late. Atlanta's first game against the Celtics made it painfully obvious they need someone to match Boston's shooting and Kennard gives them a viable option

Three Reasons The Hawks Might Lose This Game

Jan 17, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Just as it was during the last time these two teams played, the main focus of this game is going to be Jalen Johnson vs Jaylen Brown. Brown's production has been on a different level - he is averaging a career-high 29.4 points on 58.5 TS% to go with 6.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Brown is arguably the toughest assignment Johnson has had on defense all year, and he definitely got the better of Johnson during their last matchup. He gave Atlanta 41 points while only taking 30 shots with Johnson as his primary defender. It'll be interesting to see how Johnson handles Round 2.

Last time, the Celtics won the game in large part due to an excellent second quarter and Sam Hauser making 10 threes while taking 21 attempts from behind the arc. They can't rely on that performance again, but the trio of Baylor Schierman, Anfernee Simons and Derrick White are all capable of having a hot streak tonight and powering Boston to a win.

Although Queta and Garza will likely be either unavaliable or limited, the play of center Amari Williams has been quite intriguing. He was excellent against the Blazers, putting up nine points and seven rebounds against Donovan Clingan. Williams is a good passer despite being a seven-footer and it'll be interesting to see how he fares in this matchup with a good starting center in Onyeka Okongwu.

Injury Report

Kristaps Porzingis and Zaccharie Risacher are both out.

For Boston, Jayson Tatum is out while Neemias Queta is doubtful and Luka Garza is questionable.

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks

G - Nickeil Alexander-Walker

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Corey Kispert

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Celtics

G - Payton Pritchard

G - Derrick White

F- Jaylen Brown

F- Sam Hauser

C - Amari Williams