Hawks Starting Lineup Remains Unchanged Amid Injuries, LeBron James and Luka Doncic In For The Lakers

Risacher came into this game questionable and had his official playing status updated before tonight's game vs the Lakers

Jan 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) looks to drive past New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks are 6-0 on the West Coast this season and they are looking to make it 7-0 tonight when they face the Los Angeles Lakers. Not only have the Hawks been playing well on the West Coast, but they have won three straight games and five of their last seven. They had one of their best performances of the season on Sunday night when they beat the Warriors convincingly.

What was surprising about the Hawks' win on Sunday was that they did it without Zaccharie Risacher or Kristaps Porzingis, two impact players for the Hawks. Porzingis is going to miss another game tonight, as is Risacher. The Hawks are also going to be without Luke Kennard tonight, a big loss considering how well he is playing. Rookie forward Asa Newell is also going to play.

Here is the starting lineups for Atlanta and Los Angeles tonight:

Hawks

G- Nickeil Alexander-Walker

G- Dyson Daniels

F- Vit Krejci

F- Jalen Johnson

C- Onyeka Okongwu

Lakers

G- Luka Doncic

G- Marcus Smart

F- Jake LaRavia

F- LeBron James

C- Deandre Ayton

Who wins tonight?

Jan 11, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) drives to the basket between Golden State Warriors defenders Quinten Post (21) and Draymond Green (23) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Atlanta's offense is starting to pick up in recent games, and I think it is only going to get better when they get Risacher and Porzingis back to join CJ McCollum. Right now, they are 8th in points, 8th in FG%, 4th in 3P%, 23RD in FT%, 25th in rebounds (27th in OREB, 17th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 17th in turnovers per game. They're 17th in offensive rating this year.

The Hawks defense is also getting better and played really well against the Warriors on Sunday night. If they face a team with either Doncic, James, or both, they are going to have a big challenge on their hands.

The Hawks' defense ranks 23rd in points allowed, 22nd in FG% allowed, 9th in 3P% allowed, 26th in rebounds allowed, 8th in steals, and 16th in blocks. They're 14th in defensive rating this year.

The Lakers have been one of the best offenses in the NBA this season, but who they have on the court tonight will be a bit of a mystery. The Lakers rank 7th in PPG, 2nd in FG%, 30th in 3p%, 22nd in FT%, 26th in rebounds (24th in OREB and 25th in DREB), 26th in assists per game, and 19th in turnovers per game. The Lakers are 11th in offensive rating this season.

It is not pretty defensively for the Lakers. They are 17th in PPG allowed, 28th in FG% allowed, 26th in 3P% allowed, 3rd in rebounds allowed, 6th in steals, and 30th in blocks. Los Angeles is 26th in defensive rating.

More Atlanta Hawks News: