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

The Hawks have done a good job of taking care of business and that should continue today against a Bucks team that has looked terrible with or without Giannis.

Mar 4, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu (17) passes the ball away from Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

In their last 10 games, the Atlanta Hawks have played like a title contender.

To be clear, that's not to say that the Hawks should be considered a real threat to win the NBA championship this season. They are 8th in the Eastern Conference, so they aren't even guaranteed a playoff spot as of yet. However, they've won eight straight games for the first time since 2020-21, which is a season that turned out pretty well for Atlanta as fans might remember.

Even when accounting for the easier competition they've played, the Hawks have the second-best net rating in the NBA over their past ten games. They've had the ninth-best offense in that span per ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry, but the real surprise has been their defense. Objectively, they've been a middling defense for the entire season, but they are 1st in defensive efficiency per Goldsberry. That is a sign that the Hawks do have a bit more defensive upside than they've shown for much of the season.

March is always a hard part of the NBA calendar to analyze because plenty of performances are merely part of variance and postseason/tanking teams playing with a little less intensity. However, winning eight straight games has to count for something and the Hawks have an excellent chance to extend their streak to nine in their matchup with a terrible Milwaukee Bucks team.

By the Numbers

Mar 4, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Cam Thomas (24) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Over their win streak, the Hawks' offense has been largely excellent despite a surprisingly quiet night against the Nets. They are 7th in points, 13th in FG%, 6th in 3P%, 21st in FT%, 18th in rebounds (22nd in OREB, 13th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 12th in turnovers per game. They're 17th in offensive rating this year.

The defense has been much better in their past ten games, but their strength against higher-level teams needs to be tested. They are 21st in points allowed, 19th in FG% allowed, 14th in 3P% allowed, 26th in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 18th in blocks. They're 14th in defensive rating this year.

The Bucks are basically just entirely dependent on Giannis, Ryan Rollins and shooting variance for offense at this point. They don't have a roster that can complement their star player as offensive options and it's why they've been dismal on that end. They are 28th in points, 8th in FG%, 2nd in 3P%, 30th in FT%, 27th in rebounds (30th in OREB, 15th in DREB), 17th in assists, and 17th in turnovers per game. They're 25th in offensive rating this year.

Three Reasons Atlanta Can Win This Game

Mar 4, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu (17) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reach for the ball in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Atlanta's starters have been largely excellent throughout this win streak and their ability to dominate weaker matchups is why they blew out Milwaukee in their last matchup with them. One of the most impressive starters who's elevated their play against the Bucks is Onyeka Okongwu. Okongwu's three-point shooting leap has been one of the best development stories in the NBA and he proved it by torching Myles Turner. He scored 21 points on only nine shots from the field and made three of his attempts from deep while also collecting three steals and two blocks. This is a matchup Okongwu used to consistently struggle with during the seasons where Brook Lopez was protecting the rim and spacing the floor in Milwaukee. Turner did hold Okongwu to four points earlier in the season, but Okongwu's larger stretch of play and their most recent matchup suggests that was an aberration.

Dyson Daniels is one of the most impactful defenders in the NBA and it's why the Hawks aren't drawing dead against Giannis like most other teams. Daniels did an excellent job of limiting Giannis's impact when matched up against him and it's a huge factor in why the Greek Freak actually finished with the second-worst plus/minus in the Hawks' last game against Milwaukee. There aren't many games where the Bucks got outscored by 25 points in Giannis's minutes and it should be fun to watch Daniels and Antetokounmpo battle throughout the game today.

Atlanta's rebounding hasn't been a strength on the season, but the Bucks have been terrible on the boards in a way that the Hawks haven't punished them for. Milwaukee actually won the rebounding battle, 41-40, in the last game and that cannot happen again today. This is the worst offensive rebounding team in the NBA and it would be good for Atlanta's chances of winning if they made the Bucks look like it today. Those extra possessions will help the Hawks dominate in the paint, which they did despite the slight rebounding advantage in Milwaukee's favor (54 points in the paint to the Bucks' 42).

Three Reasons Atlanta Might Lose This Game

Mar 4, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives for the basket past Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) in the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Bucks aren't the best team in this game, but they do still have the best player in the matchup in Giannis Antetokounmpo. The impact hasn't been there for Giannis like it has in prior seasons because of how bad the team is, but he's still capable of taking over a game on any given night. Jalen Johnson and Daniels are going to have a hard time slowing him down considering that he's always given the Hawks fits. He averages 23.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists against Atlanta for his career and there's no reason to think he can't put up a similar statline today and give the Bucks a chance in the game. If he's ruled out of today's game due to calf injury management, the complexion of the game changes entirely for Milwaukee.

Ousmane Dieng has been a nice player for a Bucks team that doesn't have a lot in the way of young talent. After being buried in OKC, Dieng has averaged 8.2 points on 38.7% shooting from deep on four attempts while offering the Bucks some size and rebounding in their starting lineup. He's been a more additive player than Kyle Kuzma and there's a chance he could threaten a Hawks defense that still isn't great at stopping shooters from lighting them up from the perimeter.

Just like last time, Milwaukee's best chance of winning this is drive-and-kick basketball where they catch fire from deep. Players like Cam Thomas, Rollins and AJ Green are critical for these as they are the Bucks' best option of shooting their way out of the talent deficiency they have against the Hawks. In the last game, the Bucks shot 33% while Atlanta shot 44%. Therefore, it'll be interesting to see how the game looks when things are more equal or even swing in Milwaukee's favor.

Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks: Jonathan Kuminga is questionable.

Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr and Ousmane Dieng are all questionable.

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks

G - CJ McCollum

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Nickeil Alexander-Walker

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Bucks

G - Kevin Porter Jr

G - Ousmane Dieng

F - Kyle Kuzma

F - Giannis Antetokounmpo

C - Myles Turner

I think this game will be a bit closer than expected if Giannis plays. The chances of blowing the Bucks out twice with Giannis isn't very likely even if Milwaukee has been awful as of late. That being said, I still expect the Hawks to win their ninth straight game to set up for an exciting game against the Magic on Monday.