Charlotte Hornets vs Atlanta Hawks Game Preview
INJURY REPORT:
HORNETS: OUT: Kelly Oubre Jr (Hand), Cody Martin (Knee), DOUBTFUL: Kai Jones (Ankle)
HAWKS: QUESTIONABLE: John Collins (Hip), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Hip), PROBABLE: Trae Young (Shoulder)
GAME PREVIEW:
The Charlotte Hornets take on the Atlanta Hawks tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST inside Spectrum Center.
The Hornets have lost seven in a row and have another tough matchup against a high-scoring Atlanta squad. The Hawks have won their last two games and are currently the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 29-28.
Although the Hawks have had a much better season than the Hornets, Charlotte holds the season series edge through three games, two to one. Both games that the Hornets won were in Atlanta and the one loss came in Charlotte. The Hornets will look to win the season series tonight against their division rival that knocked them out of the Play-In tournament last season. Recently acquired guard, Saddiq Bey is unlikely to make his debut for the Hawks tonight after the four-team trade just became official last night. Svi Mykhailiuk was a piece in the Hornets trade that sent Jalen McDaniels to Philly, but was unavailable for the Hornets the last two games. However, tonight against Atlanta, Mykhailiuk will be available to suit up for the Hornets.
KEY MATCHUP: Mark Williams vs Clint Capela/Onyeka Okongwu
It will be Mark Williams' third start of his rookie campaign as he takes on the Atlanta Hawks. Williams had a tough matchup against the back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic, this past Saturday. The young center struggled in the matchup against the MVP, as he got into foul trouble and tallied just six points and five rebounds. Williams is averaging 8.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, while blocking 1.5 shots per game in just his two starts.
Williams will have another tough matchup tonight as he goes against two solid centers in Capela and Okongwu. Capela is averaging 12.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game and Okongwu is averaging 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. This matchup will be a great test for Hornets rookie Mark Williams to show his skill set.
| Starting Lineups | Charlotte Hornets | Atlanta Hawks |
|---|---|---|
Point Guard | LaMelo Ball | Trae Young |
Shooting Guard | Terry Rozier | Dejounte Murray |
Small Forward | Gordon Hayward | Deandre Hunter |
Power Forward | PJ Washington | John Collins |
Center | Mark Williams | Clint Capela |
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