Hawks vs Thunder: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups For Tonight's Matchup

Atlanta picked up their first win of the season against the Orlando Magic last night and they'll be carrying that into a difficult matchup with the reigning NBA champions.

Feb 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shoots against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It wasn't easy, but the Atlanta Hawks showed some impressive grit last night to take down the Orlando Magic, 111-107. They played their best basketball in the fourth quarter, Trae Young did Trae Young things and capitalized on Orlando's inability to turn free throw chances into points. Against a team that will almost certaintly be a rival for them in the Eastern Conference standings, this was a reminder than what they showed against the Toronto Raptors in the season opener.

Trae Young starred with 25 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter, and six assists while Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a good bounce-back game. He finished with 19 points and also dished out four assists. Onyeka Okongwu did an excellent job of filling in for an injured Kristaps Porzingis, recording a much-needed 17 points and four rebounds. Dyson Daniels had a quieter game from a box score perspective, only recording 6 points, but that doesn't take into account the excellent defense he played in the first half.

They'll now take on a Oklahoma City Thunder team that has yet to play a normal basketball game. Each of their first two wins on the season has come in double OT games where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has carried them down the stretch. He's averaged 45 points per game through the first two games, which speaks to how short-handed the Thunder have been to open the season. Jalen Williams has yet to play this year while key reserves Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace got knocked out of the lineup following the season opener against Houston.

Nevertheless, the Hawks are in for a difficult matchup against arguably the best team in the NBA. The Thunder won by 16+ in both of the games they played against Atlanta last season - the Hawks will need to be at their best if they hope to buck that trend.

By the Numbers

Feb 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) drives to the basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Hawks' offense is not off to a great start. They're 23rd in points, 20th in FG%, 29th in 3P%, 9th in FT%, 28th in rebounds (25th in OREB), 14th in assists and 12th in turnovers per game. For seven of their first eight quarters of 2025-26, Atlanta has not been able to shoot efficiently or put up points on large volume. The fourth quarter against Orlando was their best thus far, but they need more consistent offense if they want to be viewed as truly competitive in the East.

Their defense took some steps forward as a result of last night's performance. On a per-game basis, Atlanta ranks 22nd in points allowed, 27th in FG% allowed, 2nd in 3P% allowed, 26th in rebounds allowed, 16th in steals and 8th in blocks. The Magic didn't do a great job of capitalizing on some of their offensive chances, but credit has to be given to Atlanta to making it difficult for Orlando to score at will like they did against Miami.

Despite the output, the Thunder's offense hasn't been as efficient as it was last season. They rank 4th in points per game, 23rd in FG%, 30th in 3P%, 4th in FT%, 8th in rebounds (19th in OREB), 20th in assists and 1st in minimizing turnovers per game. Here's hoping they don't find that efficiency against the Hawks because they are still incredibly productive even without it.

Due to playing double-OT games in back-to-back games, they're 26th in points allowed. However, they're still 5th in FG% allowed, 5th in 3P% allowed, 29th in rebounds allowed, 11th in steals and 28th in blocks. The point totals might paint a different picture, but the Thunder are still one of the best defenses in the NBA. They've just played very talented offenses.

Three Reasons Atlanta Can Win This Game

Oct 27, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) drives to the basket around Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

It's no secret that OKC is coming into this game battered. The losses of Alex Caruso, Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe aren't ideal while Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace are going to be questionable for tonight. That's a lot of roster talent and the Hawks are coming into this game relatively healthy. Zaccharie Risacher and Kristaps Porzingis might miss tonight, but the rest of the starting lineup is intact and their replacements (NAW and Onyeka) have played well. It's possible the injuries might be too much to overcome for OKC, especially after playing two straight double OT games.

OKC's shooting is also something to monitor. They've been the worst shooting team from deep in the NBA thus far and they've struggled to find multiple consistent scoring options outside of SGA. If there's anything positive that can be said about the Hawks' offense this season, they've been able to run the offense through multiple different players. It's not all on Trae Young to create every night and while the early results haven't been promising, Atlanta has also been subject to terrible shooting luck. The fourth quarter was fairly normal and they stormed back to win against the Magic. There's reason to believe the positive regression in their shooting might be enough to counter OKC's cold streak.

The Hawks also have a legitimate defensive answer for SGA. While he still dominated against the Rockets and Pacers, who both have good guard defenders in Amen Thompson and Andrew Nembhard respectively, Dyson Daniels and NAW are a pretty intimidating pairing in their own right. Daniels hasn't fallen off whatsoever from his All-Defense First Team form and despite a questionable whistle, he did great on his matchups against Orlando. Mo Gueye has also been a defensive ace up the Hawks' sleeve thus far and he had a great game against a Orlando lineup with plenty of length. Despite his size, he can chase SGA on the perimeter, even if he does have to be careful about fouling. Head coach Quin Snyder needs to keep one or both of them on the floor at all times because they'll have no chance in this game if they aren't able to make SGA work for his points.

Three Reasons Atlanta Might Lose This Game

Oct 17, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) moves the ball against Atlanta Hawks guard Keaton Wallace (2) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The possible loss of Porzingis looms large as an effective counter to Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Both are legitimate seven-footers who can grab extra possessions on the boards and while Okongwu played well against Orlando, Wendell Carter Jr isn't quite on the level of those two centers. Holmgren may not suit up for this one, but reserve center Jaylin Williams is still a great player. It's going to be a tall task for Atlanta to win on the boards in this one.

While a lot of OKC's depth has been shelved, one player who's thriving due to his elevated role is Ajay Mitchell. The second-year player gave OKC good minutes in his rookie year despite being on a Finals team and he's leveled up this season. He's averaging 21 points and three assists through the first two games and he's been an excellent complementary ball-handler to SGA. This is a player that the Hawks will need to watch out for because he can thrive off the lack of attention being devoted to him.

The fouling rate has to be something to watch whenever OKC is involved. The Hawks are currently 11th in fouls commited per game, but they have to be extra-disciplined against SGA and the rest of OKC's scorers. They will get borderline calls because of their status and SGA is more than happy to live at the FT line. While Paolo Banchero missed several critical free throws down the stretch that sealed Atlanta's victory, the Hawks can't rely on that happening for two games in a row.

Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks: Atlanta is playing on a back-to-back and has not released their injury report for tonight.

Update (1:00 p.m. ET)- Hawks are going to be without Zaccharie Risacher (right ankle sprain) while Jalen Johnson (right ankle sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (Flu-like symptoms) are going to be questionable.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, Thomas Sorber, Nikola Topic, Jalen Williams, and Kenrich Williams are all out today. Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace are questionable.

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Where to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be underdogs on the road tonight, as the Thunder are currently 6.5 point favorites according to the latest odds from the Fanduel Sportsbook, and the over/under is set at 238.5.

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks:

G - Trae Young

G - Dyson Daniels

F - Vit Krejci

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Thunder

G - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

G - Aaron Wiggins

F - Lu Dort

F - Chet Holmgren

C - Isaiah Hartenstein