Atlanta Hawks vs Utah Jazz: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups for Today's Matchup

In the wake of one of the biggest deals of the trade deadline, the Hawks will face off against a Jazz team that also made a major acquisition this week.

Nov 13, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) looks to drive against Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks made a big deal at the deadline by sending Kristaps Porzingis out to the Warriors in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. It's a huge transaction for several reasons. Not only does it officially end the Warriors' pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Kuminga has also been trying to get out of Golden State for a long time. It's very interesting that the Hawks elected to take him on, but now they have to figure out how he fits into their roster for this season and potentially beyond.

Neither Kuminga nor Hield is specifically mentioned on the injury report, but it's somewhat unlikely that either of them is going to be available tonight against the Jazz since the trade has not yet been announced. They'll have to handle business against a Utah team that also made a big trade by landing Jaren Jackson Jr in exchange for three first-round picks. Last time these two teams faced off, the Hawks won convincingly in a 132-122 game that saw Jalen Johnson put up incredible numbers with a 31-point triple-double where he also had seven steals.

It's also possible that Onyeka Okongwu returns to the lineup after suffering a dental injury against the Celtics. If they can get him back, it'll give Atlanta a definitive edge against one of the worst teams in the NBA. They're coming into this game with some momentum after a wire-to-wire win over the Miami Heat, so they should be able to take care of business against the Jazz.

By the Numbers

Nov 13, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) dribbles against Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Atlanta's offense was excellent against a Miami Heat defense that always seems to always give them issues. They are 9th in points, 9th in FG%, 5th in 3P%, 20th in FT%, 25th in rebounds (25th in OREB, 15th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 14th in turnovers per game. They're 20th in offensive rating this year.

The Hawks have made two big moves, but it's still unclear how they plan to improve the defense. They are 23rd in points allowed, 22nd in FG% allowed, 11th in 3P% allowed, 26th in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 18th in blocks. They're 16th in defensive rating this year.

Utah's offense hasn't really been the problem due to Keyonte George taking a step forward. They are 6th in points, 17th in FG%, 18th in 3P%, 7th in FT%, 18th in rebounds (14th in OREB, 20th in DREB), 2nd in assists, and 29th in turnovers per game. They're 15th in offensive rating this year.

The defense has been absolutely dreadful this season and it's not hard to see why Utah wanted to trade for a defender of JJJ's caliber. The Jazz are 30th in points allowed, 29th in FG% allowed, 29th in 3P% allowed, 18th in rebounds allowed, 19th in steals, and 30th in blocks. They're 30th in defensive rating this year.

Three Reasons the Hawks Can Win This Game

Nov 13, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) dribbles against Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey (19) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Onyeka Okongwu's potential return is massive because the young big man went for 32 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three blocks while making an incredible eight threes. The Jazz concede the worst eFG% of any team in the NBA - there really isn't an area of the court that their defense takes away with regularity. It should be easier for them to shut down the rim if JJJ were in the lineup, but he won't play against Atlanta, and that leaves the door open for Okongwu to have another big game.

Even though Keyonte George has had a great season for Utah, the Hawks did an excellent job of defending him during their last game against the Jazz. They held George to 19 points on 7-19 shooting and he turned the ball over three times. That speaks volumes to how well Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker did against him and it'll be even easier to shut down Utah's offense when Isaiah Collier is running the show. He is coming off a 22 assist performance, but it's highly unlikely he able to replicate that against the Hawks since he's been a net-negative for the Jazz all year.

Since Utah's defense is awful, there's a good chance that players like CJ McCollum and Luke Kennard are going to be critical in this one. Utah can't really run them off the line and there aren't enough good point-of-attack defenders on the team, so Kennard and McCollum will have plenty of good looks. It's just a matter of converting on those shots and burying the Jazz early.

Three Reasons the Hawks Might Lose This Game

Apr 6, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (28) shoots against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

He didn't have a good game against the Hawks last time and his numbers have been on a slide throughout the season, but Brice Sensabaugh is quietly one of the more underrated pieces for the Jazz because of how he can get hot from deep. Over his last five games, he's made 3+ threes in three of those games while he attempted three in the other two. He's only shooting 33.9% from deep, but the threat of Sensabaugh getting hot is something the Hawks need to be wary of.

The Jazz aren't an elite offense by any means, but they do get easy points purely by way of their ability to draw fouls. They are sixth in FTA rate and seventh in FT%, so they take a lot of free throws and make them at a decent rate. Atlanta isn't an especially disciplined defense when it comes to fouling (16th in opponent FTA rate). They'll need to be very careful and resist the aggressive tendencies that let Utah claw back into games due to good FT shooting.

Dyson Daniels isn't an especially hard player to shut down on offense, but the Jazz seemingly did a great job of dissuading him into taking shots as a whole because he only took two shots in the entire game. The Hawks didn't really need him to win and he played good defense, but a bigger offensive game from Daniels might be necessary especially if Okongwu can't go in this game.

Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu is questionable.

Utah Jazz: Walker Kessler, Jaren Jackson Jr, Vince Williams Jr, Keyonte George and Elijah Harkless are out while Lonzo Ball and Kevin Love are questionable.

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 - Corey Kispert

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Christian Koloko

Jazz:

G - Isaiah Collier

G - Cody Williams

F - Ace Bailey

F - Lauri Markkanen

C - Jusuf Nurkic