Three Hawks To Watch Tonight In Atlanta's Road Matchup Against Portland

Which players should you keep an eye on tonight when the Hawks face the Blazers?

Jan 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) celebrates after making a three point shot in the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Hawks are coming off a disappointing performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, but Atlanta has a chance to wrap up their road trip with a win tonight against the Lakers.

In this matchup tonight, who are some Hawks players that you should keep an eye on?

1. Onyeka Okongwu

It was not a good game for Okongwu on Tuesday night, but he is going to have the opportunity to have a big bounce back tonight.

In a game you lose by 25 points, it is hard to say that many players played well. Okongwu did not play well Tuesday night.

Okongwu struggled with foul trouble and was just 3-8 from the field, scoring seven points, grabbing eight rebounds, and handing out four assists.

Now, the Blazers do have a solid starter at center with second year player Donovan Clingan showing real improvement. Can Okongwu have a better night on offense and help the Hawks get a road win?

2. Jalen Johnson

Now that Trae Young is on the Wizards, Johnson has become the face of the franchise and each performance of his is going to be under the microscope. It was not a good night on Tuesday against the Lakers, as Johnson missed several shots near the rim and just had a difficult night overall on both ends of the floor.

Johnson finished with 13 points, but shot 5-17 from the field. He had little to no impact on the game, and that can't happen in games like this if you are the team's best player. I expect for Johnson to have a big bounce back performance tonight for the Hawks.

3. Vit Krejci

With Risacher continuing to miss games, I would expect that Krejci is going to get another start for the Hawks, just as he has when he has previously missed games. Krejci has been one of the better three-point shooters in the league this season, but he does not have a vast skill set outside of that. He is an average defender, solid passer, and not great rebounder.

For the Hawks to succeed when Krejci is on the court, he is going to have to hit more shots or else he is too big of a liability in other areas. He is coming off a game in which he was 1-7 from three (nobody on the team shot that well) and that can't happen in games he has to play major minutes.