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

The Atlanta Hawks came into the All-Star break in a funk and fortunately, started the second half of the year off right with a win.

It wasn't just the fact that the Hawks got a win. Atlanta moved up to 9th in the Eastern Conference standings, beat an Eastern Conference foe in the Philadelphia 76ers and swept the series with the 76ers in order to give them the tiebreaker in any record ties. That could be a massive advantage down the stretch as they chase a playoff position.

In any case, it's rare to find many games this season that the Hawks handled from start to finish like this. Philadelphia made it close at several points, but it always felt as if they were a step behind Atlanta. Jalen Johnson led the way with 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. It was also an excellent night from CJ McCollum, who poured in 23 points off the bench to go with some surprisingly good defense. Dyson Daniels did an excellent job of stifling Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 28 points on 23 shots.

They'll play a very familiar opponent in the Miami Heat. The Hawks blew the Heat out the last time they played, but Miami also escaped with a 119-118 win in their first game of the season against Atlanta. It should be a good matchup against two teams that are very familiar with each other's playing style.

By the Numbers

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, McCollum, CJ McCollum, Heat, Miami Hea — Feb 3, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) defends Miami Heat forward Myron Gardner (15) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Atlanta's offense has been extremely inconsistent this year, but remain one of the better units in the NBA on average and looked totally fine against the 76ers. The Hawks are 10th in points, 13th in FG%, 6th in 3P%, 19th in FT%, 25th in rebounds (24th in OREB, 18th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 11th in turnovers per game. They're 21st in offensive rating this year.

If they can keep up what they showed against the 76ers, their defense will make a marked improvement in the second half of the year. On a per-game basis, the Hawks' defense ranks 21st in points allowed, 18th in FG% allowed, 9th in 3P% allowed, 23rd in rebounds allowed, 4th in steals, and 12th in blocks. They're 16th in defensive rating on the year.

Miami's defense has long been the calling card of its team, but the offense has kept up this season. They are 5th in points, 21st in FG%, 14th in 3P%, 14th in FT%, 2nd in rebounds (11th in OREB, 2nd in DREB), 8th in assists, and 10th in turnovers per game. They're 16th in offensive rating this year.

Their defense hasn't been great at clamping down opposing offenses, but the advanced metrics are very favorable for them. The Heat are 20th in points allowed, 6th in FG% allowed, 6th in 3P% allowed, 29th in rebounds allowed, 6th in steals, and 24th in blocks. They're 4th in defensive rating this year.

Three Reasons the Hawks Can Win This Game

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Daniels, Dyson Daniels, NB — Feb 3, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) defends Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The Heat aren't an especially hot offense, but they are heavily reliant on Norm Powell and big nights from one of their bench players in order to carry the bulk of their offensive production. Powell earned an All-Star nod this season because he's responsible for a 5.3 point swing in offensive rating when he's on the court. Miami shot 25% from deep when Powell didn't play in their last game against Atlanta, and it severely hamstrung their ability to crawl back into games. If Daniels can carry over the positive momentum from a strong defensive game against Tyrese Maxey, it's possible that the Hawks could limit Miami in a similar way to their solid defense against the 76ers.

The Trae Young trade didn't get back any draft assets, but CJ McCollum has certainly made a difference for the Hawks down the stretch. The veteran sharpshooter has been defying his age recently by playing adequate defense, keeping him on the floor for longer stretches in order to help Atlanta's offense. He has been quietly very important for the Hawks' success, and their spacing gets significantly better. Even though McCollum's 3PT% has actually gone down since being traded to the Hawks, the gravity he attracts is still significant enough to improve the Hawks' spacing. He's going to be a critical player for Atlanta in the second half.

Despite having a great rim protector in Bam Adebayo and a promising center in Ke'el Ware, the Heat aren't really a shot-blocking team. They're 24th in blocks per game and that's important to consider because the Hawks just went up against a top-five shot blocking team in the 76ers. It's part of the reason why they're 22nd in opponent points in the paint, so the Hawks should be able to put some pressure on the rim.

Three Reasons the Hawks Might Lose This Game

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Powell, Norman Powell, Heat, Miami Hea — Dec 26, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) reacts to a call during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

The combination of Norman Powell and Tyler Herro is pretty redundant long-term, but it could pay immediate dividends for them tonight if Herro is cleared to return to the lineup. The two of them being avaliable for Miami allows for the Heat to keep a competent perimeter scorer on the floor at practically all times, which insulates them against how dependent they've been on Powell and possibly allows for a big Herro game if he feels fully healthy.

Speaking of the Miami Heat, an up-and-down rookie season shouldn't overshadow the fact that Kasparas Jakucionis is on an upswing right now. He hit six threes in back-to-back games against the Wizards and Jazz. While both of those teams aren't exactly lockdown defenses, the fact remains that Jakucionis can punish defenses that don't have the personnel to really slow him down. He's shooting 45.1% from deep - albeit on 2.8 attempts per game - and there's a good chance he could keep that number around 38-40% if he has a strong second half.

As always, it'll be interesting to see whether Atlanta's lack of relative rebounding skill and Miami's prowess on the boards makes a difference in this one. The Heat's ability to close out possessions due to their defensive rebounding is something that the Hawks don't really have an answer for - unless Jalen Johnson can carry them in that area by himself. That's not impossible, but it will quickly tire him out if the Hawks can't approach the boards with a team-based strategy.

Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks: Jonathan Kuminga is out, but the rest of Atlanta's injury report isn't known yet due to them being on a back-to-back.

Miami Heat: Keshad Johnson and Norman Powell are questionable while Tyler Herro is probable.

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 - Nickeil Alexander-Walker

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Zaccharie Risacher

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Heat:

G - Davion Mitchell

G - Norman Powell

F - Andrew Wiggins

F - Ke'el Ware

C - Bam Adebayo