Atlanta Hawks vs Los Angeles Lakers: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups for Today's Matchup

The Atlanta Hawks are 6-0 on the West Coast this season and they are looking to make it 7-0 tonight when they face the Los Angeles Lakers. Not only have the Hawks been playing well on the West Coast, but they have won three straight games and five of their last seven. They had one of their best performances of the season on Sunday night when they beat the Warriors convincingly.

What was surprising about the Hawks win on Sunday was that they did it without Zaccharie Risacher or Kristaps Porzingis, two impact players for the Hawks. Porzingis is going to miss another game tonight, but Risacher has been upgraded to questionable.

Two other injuries to watch for the Hawks tonight are Luke Kennard and Asa Newell, who are both questionable. While Newell does not play major minutes right now, the Hawks don't have a lot of bodies in the front court with Porzingis out and N'Faly Dante out for the season. If Newell is out, Onyeka Okongwu and Mouhamed Gueye are going to see the most minutes at the center position.

With the Lakers having played last night, keep a close eye on their injury report today. Austin Reaves is already out for the Lakers and the status of LeBron James and Luka Doncic are in question. Both played in last night's loss to the Kings.

By the Numbers

Jan 11, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) slaps the ball away from Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Atlanta's offense is starting to pick up in recent games, and I think it is only going to get better when they get Risacher and Porzingis back to join CJ McCollum. Right now, they are 8th in points, 8th in FG%, 4th in 3P%, 23RD in FT%, 25th in rebounds (27th in OREB, 17th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 17th in turnovers per game. They're 17th in offensive rating this year.

The Hawks defense is also getting better and played really well against the Warriors on Sunday night. If they face a team with either Doncic, James, or both, they are going to have a big challenge on their hands.

The Hawks' defense ranks 23rd in points allowed, 22nd in FG% allowed, 9th in 3P% allowed, 26th in rebounds allowed, 8th in steals, and 16th in blocks. They're 14th in defensive rating this year.

The Lakers have been one of the best offenses in the NBA this season, but who they have on the court tonight will be a bit of a mystery. The Lakers rank 7th in PPG, 2nd in FG%, 30th in 3p%, 22nd in FT%, 26th in rebounds (24th in OREB and 25th in DREB), 26th in assists per game, and 19th in turnovers per game. The Lakers are 11th in offensive rating this season.

It is not pretty defensively for the Lakers. They are 17th in PPG allowed, 28th in FG% allowed, 26th in 3P% allowed, 3rd in rebounds allowed, 6th in steals, and 30th in blocks. Los Angeles is 26th in defensive rating.

Three Reasons the Hawks Can Win This Game

Jan 5, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) drives to the basket betwen Toronto Raptors forwards RJ Barrett (9) and Collin Murray-Boyles (12) in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The first reason should be pretty obvious. The Lakers are not a very good defensive team this season and while the Hawks are not one of the elite offenses in the league, they have plenty of playmakers on the floor and they are getting better on that end as well.

I think that Jalen Johnson is going to be a tough cover for the Lakers tonight. They don't really have a defensive wing that can match up with him and even if Rui Hachimura makes his return tonight, I still favor Johnson in that matchup.

Watch the three point shooting tonight. The Hawks are 4th in three-point percentage on offense while the Lakers are 26th in 3P% allowed. Luke Kennard (if he plays) has been shooting the ball lights out and both he and Vit Krejci should have opportunities to let it fly tonight against the Lakers.

The Warriors are 12th in 3p%, but they had a rough night shooting against the Hawks on Sunday. The Lakers are the worst three-point shooting team in the league and if they can't keep up with the Hawks tonight when it comes to shooting the ball, it could be a decisive Hawks victory tonight.

Why the Hawks might not win this game

Shooting variance is a real thing and it was a big reason that they won the game on Sunday night vs the Warriors. The Hawks are not immune to bad shooting nights and if Doncic ends up suiting up for the Lakers tonight, he is one of the best playmakers in the league and can get a lot of open shots for his teammates.

The biggest reason the Hawks might lose this game is that they won't have the best player on the floor if Doncic plays. Luka Doncic is having an MVP level season and is coming off a 42 point performance against the Sacramento Kings. While the Hawks have length and athleticism, there is no team in the league that can truly stop him. He is capable of taking over games.

Without Porzingis and potentially Newell, the Hawks are not going to have a lot of depth in the frontcourt. They are going to have to rely on major minutes from Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Mouhamed Gueye. Not only that, but if the injury report does not break the Hawks way tonight, they could be missing Risacher, Kennard, and Newell, with Risacher and Kennard's absence being a big detriment to the Hawks efforts tonight.

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks

G - Nickeil Alexander-Walker

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Zaccharie Risacher

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Lakers

G -Luka Doncic

G - Marcus Smart

F- Jake LaRavia

F- Jarred Vanderbilt

C- Deandre Ayton