Atlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups for Tonight's Matchup

The Hawks should be able to extend their win streak tonight by taking care of business against a hapeless Brooklyn Nets team.

Feb 22, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) grabs a rebound over Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

There's still time left in the season, but everything is falling into place for the Hawks to make the postseason for the first time since the 2022-23 season. They've won seven straight games and while the competition hasn't been especially impressive, it's not easy to win that many games in a row. The 76ers and Raptors have tumbled down the Eastern Conference standings, giving Atlanta a better chance of making the playoffs through the play-in. Tonight's game against the Nets is another easy matchup, but the Hawks can't afford to overlook anyone at this time of the year.

As Bam Adebayo's historic game against the Wizards proved, anything can happen when the NBA calendar hits March.

On paper, this matchup is more of a clear mismatch. The Nets are fresh off getting blown out, 138-100, and promising rookie Egor Demin is slated to miss the rest of the season. However, they did also pull off an upset win over the Pistons and decisively beat the Grizzlies. The Hawks do have some margin for error, but they can't get too complacent. That being said, the Nets are missing practically all of their best players, so it shouldn't be too difficult for the Hawks to extend their win streak.

By the Numbers

Feb 22, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) and Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) react after the Hawks defeated the Nets at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Over their win streak, the Hawks' offense has been largely excellent. They are 7th in points, 12th in FG%, 6th in 3P%, 21st in FT%, 20th in rebounds (22nd in OREB, 12th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 12th in turnovers per game. They're 16th in offensive rating this year.

The defense has been the larger key towards Atlanta's success, and they've been playing well against the poor slate they've faced so far. They are 21st in points allowed, 20th in FG% allowed, 14th in 3P% allowed, 26th in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 17th in blocks. They're 14th in defensive rating this year.

The Nets' offense got a consistent boost from Michael Porter Jr., and their rookies have been excellent at times, but this is still a putrid offense that is firmly the worst in basketball. They rank 30th in points, 30th in FG%, 27th in 3P%, 20th in FT%, 30th in rebounds (21st in OREB, 30th in DREB), 18th in assists and 29th in turnovers per game.

They're missing significant talent tonight, but the defense has actually shown some progress. They are 16th in points allowed, 30th in FG% allowed, 30th in 3P% allowed, 9th in rebounds allowed, 22nd in steals, and 24th in blocks. They're 27th in defensive rating this year.

Three Reasons Atlanta Can Win This Game

Feb 22, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; an Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) reacts after a basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Hawks are significantly favored to win this in large part due to how well Jalen Johnson has been playing as of late. He followed up a dominant game against the 76ers with an excellent game against the Mavericks, dropping 27 points and dishing out eight assists while grabbing seven rebounds. However, Johnson's offense arguably wasn't the most impressive part of his game. He also collected two blocks and one steal while finishing as a +14 against a Mavericks team with plenty of length and wings to throw at him. He's starting to prove that he is almost matchup-proof, which is excellent for the Hawks as they try to build this team around him.

Jonathan Kuminga hasn't played in a few games, but he's officially questionable for today's game and that could be a really fun add back into the lineup. When he was on the court, the Hawks had a +41 net rating and 133.6 offensive rating. It is on a miniscule sample size of 48 minutes, but the early returns of Kuminga have been excellent for the Hawks. Tonight's game is a pretty soft matchup to bring him back against.

The Nets are not the most talented roster in the league, but there are a few players that have given them a lift throughout the season. Michael Porter Jr, Egor Demin and Day'Ron Sharpe distinguished themselves as players with clear potential throughout the season. However, that list unfortunately conincides with the list of players out in this matchup. MPJ has given the Nets a chance to win on any given night, but they are drawing dead when he doesn't play.

Three Reasons Atlanta Might Lose This Game

Feb 22, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) dribbles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Given the difficulty of the matchup, it's highly likely that the Hawks will rest Dyson Daniels as he's been dealing with a left toe sprain. Assuming Daniels doesn't play, that puts a lot of pressure on Nickeil Alexander-Walker to be the Hawks' main perimeter stopper. Usually, that's a problem for the Hawks. There's a good chance it won't matter due to the matchup, but NAW's defense hasn't been anywhere near the same level of Daniels.

Nic Claxton hasn't been that good this season, but it'll be interesting to see how he fares in the matchup with Onyeka Okongwu. Okongwu's been a pretty consistent double-double against Brooklyn and he's been very effective for the Hawks in this matchup. However, Claxton has also put up seven blocks in the last three games and had a three-block performance against the Pistons despite not scoring much. It'll be interesting to see if he can slow down Okongwu.

One of the best-kept secrets on the Nets is the play of rookie Drake Powell. He doesn't have a lot of minutes under his belt, but Powell is an incredible athlete who's shooting 70% at the rim right now and 47% from midrange. Those numbers won't hold for an entire season, but his explosiveness give the short-handed Nets some athletic juice.

Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks: Jonathan Kuminga and Dyson Daniels are questionable.

Brooklyn Nets: Michael Porter Jr, Day'Ron Sharpe, Egor Demin and Nolan Traore are all out while Ziare Williams is questionable.

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

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

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

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

Nets

G - Ben Saraf

G - Drake Powell

F - Noah Clowney

F - Danny Wolf

C - Nic Claxton

This could have been a close game if the Nets were playing their guys, but they aren't motivated to win and they're already down several good players. Therefore, this is one of those games that the Hawks cannot lose under any circumstances.