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

After earning a huge win on the road Wednesday night against the No. 1 team in the Eastern Confernece, the Atlanta Hawks are back on the road to face the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks are going to be facing the Boston Celtics tonight in what could turn out to be a playoff preview if things change before the season ends. The Hawks come into this game 5th in the Eastern Confernece, while the Celtics are 2nd. Neither team is likely to move up anymore (Hawks moreso than Boston), but this is going to be a big test for Atlanta.

The Celtics are viewed as the favorite in the Eastern Conference, even with the Pistons sitting at the top. With superstar forward Jayson Tatum back and getting more comfortable, the Celtics are aiming to get back to the NBA Finals and win their second title in three seasons. They looked every bit the part of a favorite when they took down a healthy Oklahoma City Thunder team on Wednesday night.

This is going to be the third matchup of the season between the Hawks and the Celtics, with the road team winning both games. The Celtics blew out the Hawks in the first matchup, but the Hawks got an impressive win by 11 points last time they were in Boston.

There is some notable injury news to follow on the Celtics side. Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, and Neemias Queta are all questionable, leaving open the possibility that the Celtics could be very shorthanded in this game.

By the numbers

CJ McCollum Atlanta Hawk — Jan 28, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Jordan Walsh (27) during the first half at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Coming into this game, the Hawks are 6th in points, 13th in FG%, 6th in 3P%, 18th in FT%, 16th in rebounds (21st in OREB, 12th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 13th in turnovers per game. They're 15th in offensive rating this year.

The defense is the unit that has shown the most improvement over the past couple of months.

The Hawks are 18th in points allowed, 18th in FG% allowed, 13th in 3P% allowed, 24th in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 18th in blocks. They're 11th in defensive rating this year.

The Celtics have a strong offensive unit if they are fully healthy. They are 20th in points, 21st in FG%, 11th in 3P%, 5th in FT%, 4th in rebounds (6th in OREB, 7th in DREB), 29th in assists, and 1st in turnovers per game. They're 2nd in offensive rating this year.

Defensively is where Boston shines. They are 1st in points allowed, 2nd in FG% allowed, 16th in 3P% allowed, 6th in rebounds allowed, 28th in steals, and 10th in blocks. They're 4th in defensive rating this year.

Three reasons the Hawks can win this game

Mar 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) in overtime at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The first reason is obvious and that is the health of the Celtics. If Boston is completely healthy, this will be quite a challenge for a red hot Hawks team. If all three of White, Brown, and Queta are out, then Boston is considerably weaker, though they still have Tatum and other good players. The health of Boston is the No. 1 thing to watch in tonight's game.

While Boston is 2nd in offensive rating, they trail other NBA teams in offensive categories and the Hawks have been playing really well on the defensive end of the floor. CJ McCollum can be a weak point that I am sure Boston is going to try and exploit like Detroit did, but the Hawks are far more equipped to deal with Boston than they have been in recent matchups. If Queta is out, Atlanta is going to have the advantage at center in a big way.

The Hawks have good enough three-point shooting to be able to keep up with the Celtics if Boston does get hot. Joe Mazzulla's Celtics teams are always near the top of the league when it comes to three-point attempts, and if they get hot, they can bury a team quickly, as they did in the first matchup against the Hawks. Atlanta is one of the better three-point shooting teams in the NBA, and they can keep up with the Celtics if needed. Three point variance is always something to watch when playing the Celtics.

Three Reasons Boston May Win This Game

The Hawks defense is much improved, but as Wednesday showed, it is not unsolvable and McCollum is a glaring weakness on that end of the floor. Boston hunts matchups relentlessly and will find the weak link and make you adjust. If they are healthy, they have the personnel to make the Hawks life miserable when they have the ball.

The Hawks bench can be erratic, but it did help them defeat Detroit. The Hawks starting five has been one of the best in the league, but they struggled against the Pistons and it took solid efforts from Gabe Vincent and Jock Landale to overcome those shortcomings. Jonathan Kuminga, Vincent, Landale, Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher, and perhaps Mouhamed Gueye will be counted on tonight to help the Hawks earn a road win. Can multiple guys step up?

If healthy, this is going to be arguably the best defense the Hawks have faced since losing to the Rockets last Friday. Boston has plenty of good defenders who can switch into different matchups and it won't be as easy to find a mismatch if they are healthy.

Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks - None to report

Boston Celtics - Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, and Neemias Queta are all 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

Where to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks

G - CJ McCollum

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Nickeil Alexander-Walker

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Celtics

G - Derrick White

G -Jaylen Brown

F - Sam Hauser

F - Jayson Tatum

C - Neemias Queta