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

After big wins over the Celtics and Magic, the Hawks have a soft matchup with a tanking Brooklyn Nets team on the road.

Mar 12, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) shoots as he falls against Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Saraf (77) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks were one of the five best teams in basketball through the month of March. They went 17-2 in their last 19 games, fueled by a 11-game winning streak, and put themselves into the No. 5 seed with 1.5 games between them and the No. 6 seed 76ers. They also have the tie-breaker with Philadelphia as a result of sweeping the season series, so there's a good chance the Hawks will be able to hold on to the No. 5 seed and face the Cleveland Cavaliers.

To tighten their grip on their current playoff position, the Hawks need to take care of the easy wins and that's exactly what they should be able to do tonight. The Nets are one of the worst teams in basketball and the season can't end soon enough for them. They have been figuring out their strategy in the 2026 NBA Draft for months. As a result, the current state of their roster is rather dismal.

Even so, anyone can beat anyone on a given night and the Hawks have pulled off big wins over the Celtics and Magic recently. If they take their foot off the pedal due to the quality of the opponent and let Brooklyn hang with them, it opens up the possibility of a surprising loss.

By the Numbers

Mar 12, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) dribbles against Brooklyn Nets guard Terance Mann (14) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Their blowout win over the Magic is a nice depiction of how well the Hawks offense has been operating as of late. They are 6th in points, 13th in FG%, 6th in 3P%, 19th in FT%, 17th in rebounds (20th in OREB, 12th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 11th in turnovers per game. They're 15th in offensive rating this year.

The defense still has its flaws, but they've repeatedly shown they can clamp down on mediocre and bad offenses. The Hawks are 18th in points allowed, 18th in FG% allowed, 11th in 3P% allowed, 23rd in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 18th in blocks. They're 9th in defensive rating this year.

Even if the Nets did keep it close during their last game against the Hawks, the Nets' offense is one of the worst units in the NBA and it isn't very close. They rank 30th in points, 30th in FG%, 30th in 3P%, 17th in FT%, 30th in rebounds (22nd in OREB, 30th in DREB), 24th in assists and 29th in turnovers per game. Unsurprisingly, they're 30th in offensive rating.

The Nets' defense is mostly built on positive moments from their rookies and shooting variance. Nevertheless, they do try on that end even if they aren't very talented, they deserve respect for not being the worst defense in the NBA. They are 16th in points allowed, 29th in FG% allowed, 30th in 3P% allowed, 12th in rebounds allowed, 21st in steals, and 23rd in blocks. They're 27th in defensive rating this year.

Three Reasons The Hawks Can Win This Game

Mar 12, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) shoots over Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Zaccharie Risacher has seen his playing time gradually decrease since his sophomore season and it's becoming harder to remember that he was once the No. 1 overall pick. However, the Nets have been a really good matchup for him. He scored a career-high 38 points in his rookie season against Brooklyn and had a great game against the Nets this season with 19 points, nine rebounds and two blocks on 64.9 TS%. This could be a game where Risacher gets more usage and that's to Atlanta's benefit.

Surprisingly, the Hawks' best shooter the last time they played the Nets was Jalen Johnson (4/7 from deep). CJ McCollum, Onyeka Okongwu and Nickeil Alexander-Walker combined for only two made threes. The likelihood of that happening again is pretty slim. If the Hawks get normal three-point variance to start, they should bury the Nets early.

The Magic aren't the best team in the world, but they're still fighting for a playoff spot and it was good to see Jonathan Kuminga put a solid effort on the floor against a team with something to play for. Kuminga had 12 points on 5-7 shooting off the bench and it's possible that a bigger game could be in store for him against a lackluster Nets defense who doesn't really have the athleticism to protect the rim and paint.

Three Reasons Atlanta Might Lose This Game

Mar 12, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Gabe Vincent (4) tries to dribble past Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Saraf (77) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Nets don't have a lot to write home about, but Josh Minnot has been a fun story to track ever since being acquired by the Nets from the Boston Celtics. Minnot has averaged 10.5 points and 2.6 rebounds on 40.9% shooting from deep while taking 4.7 threes a game. He led the Nets in scoring against the Hawks last time with 24 points and he's been a solid two-way player on a Brooklyn team that could definitely use it.

Brooklyn's roster has also been battered by injuries, but Nolan Traore continues to look like an interesting find at the point guard position. He's struggled with the efficiency, but the French point guard has been a solid playmaker and tenacious on defense even if he's finding his footing. He's the only player on Brooklyn's available roster who can organize the team as a distributor and it'll be interesting to see how he handles the Dyson Daniels assignment.

While the score eventually looked pretty lopsided, the Nets did a good job of sticking with the Hawks up until the end. They made it a four-point game with around four minutes to play in the fourth quarter and just played bad defense to let the Hawks offense get hot. If they tighten up their operation late, there's a chance the Nets could shock Atlanta on the road.

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

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

Location: Barclays Center, New York, NY

Where to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks

G - CJ McCollum

G - Nickeil Alexander-Walker

F - Dyson Daniels

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Nets

G - Nolan Traore

G - Drake Powell

F - Terence Mann

F - Noah Clowney

F - Nicolas Claxton