Atlanta Hawks vs Oklahoma City Thunder Final Score Picks and Predictions

Can the Hawks pull off one of the most surprising upsets of the NBA season tonight when they face the Thunder?

Feb 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) drives to the basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

If the Atlanta Hawks are going to break their six game losing streak, they are going to have to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the NBA season.

The Hawks are on the road tonight to face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder and they might be very shorthanded against the NBA's best team. Jalen Johnson and Kristaps Porzingis are both out with an illness and Trae Young is questionable. Aside from Isaiah Hartenstein and Ajay Mitchell being questionable, the Thunder are going to have their full arsenal of players to throw at the Hawks tonight.

Do the Hawks have a chance?

Dec 27, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) celebrates with guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) against the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

This is without a doubt going to be a massive challenge for the Hawks, whether or not Trae Young actually plays tonight. The Thunder are one of the best offensive teams in the league, but they have a historically great defense yet again. They create havoc and turnovers and the Hawks just had one of their worst offensive performances against the Miami Heat this past Friday. Without Johnson, it is going to leave the Hawks without size and playmaking.

Our own Rohan Raman took a deeper look at this game earlier today:

"The Hawks did a better job of finding cohesion on offense in their most recent game against New York, but they cannot afford to draw dead for large stretches of the game like they did against the Knicks. They are 11th in points, 7th in FG%, 5th in 3P%, 14th in FT%, 25th in rebounds (27th in OREB, 22nd in DREB), 1st in assists, and 18th in turnovers per game. They're 15th in offensive rating this year.

As has been the case for practically the entire season, the Hawks defense has been the limiting factor for their performance. The defense ranks 24th in points allowed, 22nd in FG% allowed, 15th in 3P% allowed, 25th in rebounds allowed, 8th in steals, and 15th in blocks. They're 19th in defensive rating on the year.

The Thunder haven't been playing their best basketball as of late, but they are still a terrifying two-way team that has an argument for the best team in the NBA. They are 2nd in points, 3rd in FG%, 6th in 3P%, 2nd in FT%, 15th in rebounds (29th in OREB and 1st in DREB), 18th in assists, and 2nd in turnovers. They are 6th in offensive rating.

Their defense is the best in basketball. OKC is 1st in PPG allowed, 1st in FG% allowed, 23rd in 3P% allowed, 14th in rebounds allowed, 2nd in steals and 8th in blocks. They are 1st in defensive rating this season."

Despite the fact that OKC has not been playing their best basketball, the Hawks are not the Spurs. These are the types of games where the Thunder put their foot on the opponent and show why they are the most complete team in the league. Whether or not Young plays, I cannot see the Hawks having much of a chance to win this game.

Final Score: Thunder 131, Hawks 112