Hawks Starting Lineup Remains the Same While Blazers Are Without Deni Avdija

Who are the starters for the Hawks and the Blazers in tonight's game?

Jan 9, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci (27) looks on during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Hawks are coming off a disappointing performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, but Atlanta has a chance to wrap up their road trip with a win tonight against the Blazers.

The Hawks are going to be without Kristaps Porzingis and Zaccharie Risacher for another game tonight and their starting lineup is going to remain the same. Portland is going to be missing Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray, Matisse Thybulle, and Blake Wesley.

Here are the starting lineups for both teams in tonight's game:

Hawks

G- Nickeil Alexander-Walker

G- Dyson Daniels

F- Vit Krejci

F- Jalen Johnson

C- Onyeka Okongwu

Blazers

G- Jrue Holiday

G- Shaedon Sharpe

F- Toumani Camaria

F- Sidy Cissoko

C- Donovan Clingan

Can Hawks Bounce Back?

Jan 11, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) looks for an open teammate as he is double-teamed by Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton (8) and forward Jimmy Butler III (10) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

It was not a good game for Okongwu on Tuesday night, but he is going to have the opportunity to have a big bounce back tonight.

In a game you lose by 25 points, it is hard to say that many players played well. Okongwu did not play well Tuesday night.

Okongwu struggled with foul trouble and was just 3-8 from the field, scoring seven points, grabbing eight rebounds, and handing out four assists.

Now, the Blazers do have a solid starter at center with second year player Donovan Clingan showing real improvement. Can Okongwu have a better night on offense and help the Hawks get a road win?

Now that Trae Young is on the Wizards, Johnson has become the face of the franchise and each performance of his is going to be under the microscope. It was not a good night on Tuesday against the Lakers, as Johnson missed several shots near the rim and just had a difficult night overall on both ends of the floor.

Johnson finished with 13 points, but shot 5-17 from the field. He had little to no impact on the game, and that can't happen in games like this if you are the team's best player. I expect for Johnson to have a big bounce back performance tonight for the Hawks.

With Risacher continuing to miss games, I would expect that Krejci is going to get another start for the Hawks, just as he has when he has previously missed games. Krejci has been one of the better three-point shooters in the league this season, but he does not have a vast skill set outside of that. He is an average defender, solid passer, and not great rebounder.

For the Hawks to succeed when Krejci is on the court, he is going to have to hit more shots or else he is too big of a liability in other areas. He is coming off a game in which he was 1-7 from three (nobody on the team shot that well) and that can't happen in games he has to play major minutes.

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