Hawks vs Heat: Game Preview, Injury Report, Starting Lineups for Today's Matchup

The Atlanta Hawks are officially playoff-bound as a top-six seed for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Tonight's game is an opportunity to improve their standing in the East and it'll be a good test of the Hawks' mettle against a team that needs to ramp up ahead of the play-in.

The Heat have been a mainstay in the postseason for years, but they haven't been especially impressive this season. Ever since trading Jimmy Butler away, Miami hasn't played like the scrappy postseason threat they were with him at the helm. They're locked into having to win two play-in games in order to get a postseason spot.

However, this is still a team the Hawks should take seriously. They are well-coached and the Bam Adebayo/Tyler Herro duo has been enough to beat the Hawks in the past. The Heat went 2-1 against the Hawks this season and won both games in a blowout fashion. Atlanta seems to be prioritizing rest over playoff seeding, so there's a decent chance they'll fall to the No. 6 seed and play the Knicks in the first round. There is also a good chance that they stay at the No. 5 seed even with a loss due to the results of other games.

By the Numbers

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, McCollum, CJ McCollum, Heat, Miami Hea — Feb 20, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) handles the ball against the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The offense performed well against the Cavs in both games even if they went 1-1 in the back-to-back matchups. They are 6th in points, 13th in FG%, 6th in 3P%, 20th in FT%, 18th in rebounds (20th in OREB, 13th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 11th in turnovers per game. They're 14th in offensive rating this year.

The defense has rounded into form during the back half of the season and they've done a better job on that end. They're 17th in points allowed, 17th in FG% allowed, 13th in 3P% allowed, 21st in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 17th in blocks. They're 9th in defensive rating this year.

Even though they are usually known as a defensive team, the Heat have been a surprisingly productive offense this season. They are 2nd in points, 17th in FG%, 11th in 3P%, 20th in FT%, 4th in rebounds (10th in OREB, 4th in DREB), 6th in assists, and 8th in turnovers per game. They're 13th in offensive rating this year.

The defense is still solid even if it's not at their usual standard. They are 22nd in points allowed, 9th in FG% allowed, 16th in 3P% allowed, 26th in rebounds allowed, 13th in steals, and 23rd in blocks. They're 13th in defensive rating this year.

Three Reasons The Hawks Can Win This Game

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Risacher, Zaccharie Risache — Feb 20, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) in action against the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Zaccharie Risacher has fallen out of the rotation over the last few weeks. It's a decision that doesn't exactly project favorable outcomes for his career in Atlanta, but he has a great opportunity to step up for the Hawks given that he'll likely be a starter today. Risacher's ability to space the floor is the best way that he can contribute to the Hawks' playoff run and it'd be good for his hopes of cracking the postseason rotation if he can show off his shooting in the regular season finale.

This should be treated as an audition game between Mo Gueye and Asa Newell for backup center minutes. It's painfully obvious that Tony Bradley isn't a real option for Atlanta in the postseason and the Hawks need someone to relieve Onyeka Okongwu. Newell is just a rookie, but he's on the roster and eligible to play in the postseason. Rookies usually don't contribute much in the playoffs, but it can happen. Christian Braun was a impactful contributor for the Denver Nuggets during their championship run as the 21st pick and it's not entirely out of the question that Newell's rebounding would prove helpful in a playoff setting. If either Gueye or Newell have a big game tonight against a Heat team that doesn't have much to play for, that'd be a strong argument for them to earn some run in the first round.

This will be an important game for Quin Snyder's staff. He won't be working with his usual cast of starters, but the season finale is an opportunity for him to try some interesting actions and most importantly, practice his decision-making if the game gets into a clutch situation. The impact that most coaches have in the playoffs is minimal, but calling TOs at the right time and drawing up good plays out of the TO can give the team a slight edge in at least one or two games of a series. Considering that this is the first time the Hawks won't be in the play-in in his tenure, Snyder has a great opportunity to experiment with plays without worrying about the result.

Three Reasons The Hawks Might Lose This Game

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, Bam Adebayo, Adebayo, Heat, Miami Hea — Feb 3, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) reacts against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The Heat haven't yet ruled out all of their starters, so it'll be interesting to see how much Bam Adebayo plays. Given that they are locked into a play-in matchup with the Hornets, they don't really have a lot to play for. However, Miami could want to win this game in order to secure a home advantage as the No. 9 seed. Adebayo playing against a Hawks front court that doesn't have a lot of size or depth at center.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra is likely going to focus on getting the team's defense right ahead of the play-in given the matchup with a great Hornets offense. It could be a tough night for the Hawks to score because they'll be missing so many of the usual ball-handlers on the floor. Spoelstra is known for throwing up zone defenses in the postseason, so the Hawks should be prepared to break that if they want to win this game.

The Orlando Magic are also well-poised to win tonight's game against Boston because the Celtics have signaled they're pulling most of their usual starters. If that's the case, there may not really be anything for the Hawks to play for since they'd be the No. 5 seed if Boston loses. That could certainly reduce how hard they're playing tonight.

Injuries

Atlanta Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu, Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga are all questionable.

Miami Heat: Simone Fontecchio is probable while Norman Powell is questionable

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: Kaseya Center, Miami, FL

Where to Watch: Prime Video

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks

G - Keaton Wallace

G - Gabe Vincent

F - Corey Kispert

F - Zaccharie Risacher

C - Mo Gueye

Heat

G - Davion Mitchell

G - Tyler Herro

F - Jaime Jaquez Jr

F - Andrew Wiggins

C - Bam Adebayo