Final Score Picks and Predictions For Monday's Hawks vs Celtics Matchup

Seven games to go for the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta is in the thick of the Eastern Conference race that is still super crowded. The Hawks come into this game No. 6 in the conference and a half game behind the Raptors for 5th, but only a half game ahead of the 76ers for 7th and three games ahead of Charlotte and Miami for 9th and 10th. Every game counts down the stretch and Atlanta has a tough road to ensure they get out of the play-in tournament.

These two teams just faced each other this past Friday, with the Hawks losing an early 16 point lead and Celtics guard Payton Pritchard getting red hot from behind the arc to lead Boston to a win. Boston might be down a couple of key players for tonight however.

While Jaylen Brown is off the injury report and Derrick White is listed as probable, Jayson Tatum is out and Neemias Queta is doubtful. Queta was an underrated part of the Celtics win on Friday, grabbing 11 rebounds and playing high level defense in the paint. If he is unable to play, Boston is already down Nikola Vucevic and would likely be relying on Luka Garza for some impactful minutes.

The only question mark on the Hawks injury report is backup center Jock Landale, who is questionable with an illness. Landale was missed on Friday against the Celtics and if he is unable to go, look for either Mouhamed Gueye or Christian Koloko to see minutes as the backup center. Gueye played in place of Landale on Friday against Boston, but struggled.

Who wins?

Jalen Johnson Atlanta Hawk — Mar 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) looks for a play against Sacramento Kings guard Daquan Jeffries (19) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

If Queta is out, I think that Atlanta is going to have a major advantage inside, especially if Landale plays. Tatum being out is also going to hurt the Celtics on the boards, as Queta and Tatum were the only Celtics with double-digit rebounders in that game.

The Hawks dished out 34 assists in the win over Sacramento, marking their league-leading 45th game of the season with 30-or-more assists. Atlanta also swiped 10 steals in the win, its 37th game with 10+ thefts, tied for the second-most such games in the league this season. This season, Atlanta leads the NBA in assists per game (30.3) and ranks fifth in steals per game (9.4). The Hawks are on pace to become just the fifth team in the league since 1973-74 to average over 30.0 assists per game and 9.0 steals per game, and are on pace to be the first team since the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors to do so.

Jock Landale is coming off his 15th career double-double (ninth of the season) on 3/28, finishing with 19 points on 7-11 shooting from the field, in addition to 2-3 from deep and 3-5 from the charity stripe, a career-high 13 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in 34 minutes. Of Landale's career-best 13 boards, six were offensive, tied for the third-most offensive boards in a single game in his career. He owns 13 games this season with 5+ offensive boards, tied for the 10th-most in the league. Over his past three games, Landale is averaging 11.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.0 blocks. He's grabbed 10+ rebounds in two consecutive contests and has netted 10-or-more points in two of his last three outings.

If Landale plays, he could be an important part of tonight's game, whether or not Queta plays tonight.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker recorded a near double-double on 3/28, tallying a game-best 27 points on 7-14 shooting from the floor, 4-9 from deep, and a perfect 9-9 clip from the charity stripe, eight assists, five rebounds, and a season-best four steals in 36 minutes. In 14 games played this month, NAW is shooting .955% from the charity stripe (63-66 FTM), the second-best clip in the league. This season, he's shooting a career-best .903% from the line, the fourth-best mark in the NBA. The Virginia Tech product has also buried a career-best 225 three-pointers this season, the fourth-most in a single season in franchise history, trailing only Mookie Blaylock (231, 1995-96), Trae Young (233, 2021-22), and Bogdan Bogdanovic (240, 2023-24).

Playing Boston is never easy. They have elite coaching and with Brown, White and Pritchard likely on the floor, they have players capable of winning this game. Not to mention,Boston hoists up a lot of threes and any night they are going in, it can be tough for the opposing team to be playing catch up.

I think with the homecourt advantage, Tatum out and Queta doubtful, and the Hawks starting lineup healthy, they earn a hard fought win at home against the Eastern Conference favorites.

Final Score: Hawks 114, Celtics 109