Hawks Starting Lineup Remains Unchanged Tonight Against The Raptors

The Hawks starting lineup remains the same tonight as they get ready for their third matchup of the year against Toronto

Dec 31, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) drives to the basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Don't look now but the Atlanta Hawks are on a winning streak.

Atlanta has won two in a row, both by double digits, heading into tonight's matchup with Toronto on the road. The Hawks are 0-2 against the Raptors this season and if they lose tonight, they will lose the season series to the Raptors, which could be meaningful if the teams are close to each other in the playoff standings.

While the Hawks are missing some key players for tonight's game, their starting lineup is not changing.

G- Nickeil Alexander-Walker

G- Dyson Daniels

F- Zaccharie Risacher

F- Jalen Johnson

C- Onyeka Okongwu

Trae Young, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kennard are all out tonight vs Toronto.

The Hawks are going to have to find a way to deal with the ball pressure, length, and athleticism that the Raptors bring to the floor. They have not done that well in the previous two matchups and that is going to be something to watch tonight.

Big win last night

Dec 31, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) drives to the basket behind Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, the Hawks had a terrific defensive performance against Minnesota, but this was going to be a more daunting challenge, even with the Knicks missing some of their key guys. New York came into this game third in offensive rating and still had one of the top playmakers in the NBA leading the way.

Atlanta was down early, but then their defense locked the Knicks down, especially in the middle of the game. The Hawks held the Knicks to only 17 points in the second quarter and 23 points in the third quarter. Atlanta got up by as many as 26 points and though they did not play well in the 4th quarter, it was an overall strong performance.

To end the game, the Knicks shot 36% from the field and 21% (9-44) from three. If the Hawks defense continues to play like this, they are going to continue to win games.

Johnson has looked awesome over the last two games since missing Monday's contest with an illness and he continues to look like an All Star.

Last night, Jalen Johnson added to his triple-double count for the season, ending with 18 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. He shook off a tough start and did not shoot well from three tonight, but it shows how much of an impact that Johnson has on the game when he plays like this.