Hawks vs Raptors: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineup for Tonight's Matchup

The Atlanta Hawks are back in action against the Toronto Raptors tonight and they shouldn't need much motivation to get up for this game.

As fans surely remember, it was the Raptors that hung 138 points on Atlanta's head in their first game of the season with a re-tooled Hawks lineup. It wasn't the type of game where the Hawks hung around for most of the game before Toronto closed it with one big run. The Raptors led by 23 points heading into the third quarter, setting a franchise record for points scored in a season opener despite only having one starter who made a three-pointer. They out-rebounded and out-assisted Atlanta in a way that looked extremely concerning and cast serious doubts upon their offseason moves. Thankfully, things have rebounded a bit since that clunker. Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker have both been much better since their drubbing at the hands of Toronto while Jalen Johnson looks like a star in the making.

The Hawks played some of their best basketball against the Magic. Atlanta got out to a big lead that they never really relinquished, winning by a comfortable 127-112 margin. Six different Hawks finished with double-digit points and they held the Magic to 32.4% shooting from deep. Conversely, Atlanta wiped the Magic off the floor by hitting a blistering 43.3% of their threes and making plays on defense, recording 11 blocks as a team. The Hawks held Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero largely in check, forcing them into many of the looks the Magic's star duo have been missing to begin the year. Orlando hasn't been great this year, but it's good to see that the Hawks can separate themselves from the struggling teams.

Since their excellent performance in the season opener, the Raptors have been a solid team. They're tied for the same record as Atlanta (4-4) and have won three in a row, including a 128-100 blowout of the Bucks. Importantly, they're also 1-0 in Cup play just like Atlanta. If the Hawks want to repeat their spot among the final four teams, they're going to need to take care of buisness against Toronto despite being down Trae Young.

By the Numbers

Toronto Raptors, Raptors, Daniels, Dyson Daniels, Hawks, Atlanta Hawk — Jan 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) dribbles between Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick (1) and guard RJ Barrett (9) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Atlanta's offense is usually worse when Young is not running the show, but they've been playing at an adequate level as of late. They're 17th in points, 11th in FG%, 19th on 3P%, 20th in FT%, 22nd in rebounds (23rd in OREB), 6th in assists and 7th in turnovers per game. When they shoot at an adequate level from deep, the Hawks' offense can hang with almost anyone.

Atlanta's defense didn't start the year well, but they've been matching the expectations that fans had for them as of late. On a per-game basis, Atlanta ranks 14th in points allowed, 8th in FG% allowed, 2nd in 3P% allowed, 27th in rebounds allowed, 10th in steals and 12th in blocks.

They don't have elite talent, but Toronto's offense has been a legitimate strength this season. As of now, they rank 6th in points, 4th in FG%, 5th in 3P%, 23rd in FT%, 24th in rebounds (24th in OREB), 1st in assists and 13th in turnovers per game.

Their defense has been unspectacular to start the year despite having a few solid performers on that end. On a per-game basis, the Raptors are18th in points allowed, 27th in FG% allowed, 9th in 3P% allowed, 16th in rebounds allowed, 16th in steals and 28th in blocks. They weren't an elite unit, but Toronto did a good job of tightening up on opposing shooters.

Three Reasons Atlanta Can Win This Game

Zaccharie Risacher, Risache — Oct 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) shoots against the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Raptors might be one of the few teams that the Hawks can actually go toe-to-toe with in a rebounding battle. Atlanta has been one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA, but the Raptors have been in a similar tier and the Hawks have a bigger lineup on paper. Outside of Zaccharie Risacher and Kristaps Porzingis (surprisingly), everyone in the Hawks' starting lineup is a good rebounder on paper. Even Porzingis can get a few boards - it's just that his rebounding numbers aren't as impressive as would be expected from a seven-footer. In the three games since Trae Young's injury, they've actually been 9th in rebounds per game league-wide due to adopting a more team-based approach to their lineups that gets a lot of players who can rebound into the game. To be fair, Toronto has been 3rd in that same timeframe, but this is a decent matchup to see if the Hawks can get boards in a way that they've struggled to do to start this year.

Atlanta's perimeter defense is also going to have a great opportunity to stymie Toronto's offense due to Immanuel Quickley's struggles. Quickley has been shooting 38.2 percent from the field and 27.9 percent from three, which is a massive problem for the team's starting point guard. He also has a career-high TOV% of 12% this year and his AST% of 26.7% is the lowest it's been over any of his extended stretches as a Raptor. RJ Barrett also isn't a great ball-handler - he has a TOV% of 11.2% and doesn't consistently pass well. If the duo of Dyson Daniels and NAW can disrupt Barrett and Quickley, Atlanta could build up a big lead.

Despite having three great centers, Atlanta's been fairly susceptible inside the paint. They rank among the worst teams in this regard, giving up 52 points per game inside. Fortunately, Toronto isn't an especially tough matchup in this regard. Jakob Poetl is a solid starting center, but he's struggled to begin this season as he's averaging 6.8 points and six rebounds per game on 60.7% shooting from the field. That's his second-worst percentage from the field in his career. Kristaps Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu are both solid starting centers who can take advantage of Poetl and give the Hawks an advantage.

Three Reasons Atlanta Might Lose This Game

Scottie Barnes, Barnes, — Oct 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The matchup of Scottie Barnes and Jalen Johnson is going to be one to monitor. Barnes has been great to start the year on both ends of the floor. He's averaging a career-high 20.9 points per game along with 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists to go with a blistering 48.6% from deep on 4.6 attempts per game. He's also been a defensive monster, putting up 4 steals and 2 blocks in a recent games against the Bucks and taking on the Giannis assignment. Johnson has been great to start the year, but the Hawks are actually a net-negative in his minutes due to his struggles on defense to begin the year. That might be a problem for the Hawks to manage.

The Raptors also rank highest in the NBA in terms of fast-break points per game, at 19.8, likely meaning they will make a point of emphasis to attack the Hawks in the same way. Atlanta's transition defense has still struggled as they give up 17.5 fast-break points per game. In the season opener, the Raptors outscored the Hawks, 34-11, on fast break points. They cannot afford to lose the same game in the same way.

Even though their center play hasn't been great to start the year, first-round rookie Collin Murray-Boyles has been a versatile piece for the Raptors to use. He's given them good defensive minutes as a small ball five, averaging 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 50.0 percent from three in his first couple of games. He's not taking a lot of threes (under 3 attempts a game) and certainly has moments where his inexperience shows up, but he's an interesting matchup piece for the Hawks to consider because he missed the season opener entirely.

Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young and Nikola Durisic are both out.

Toronto Raptors: N/A

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 7:40 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Where to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be favorites at home tonight, as they are currently 1.5-point favorites according to the latest odds from the Fanduel Sportsbook, and the over/under is set at 235.5.