The Los Angeles Lakers host the Atlanta Hawks at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. PT.
The Lakers come in at 23-14 as the No. 5 seed in the West, while the Hawks are 20-21 as the No. 9 seed in the East.
The Lakers just took a 124-112 loss to the Kings, with Luka Doncic erupting for 42 points in the defeat. The Hawks are coming off a 124-111 win over the Warriors, led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson, and Luke Kennard.
This is the second meeting of the season after the Hawks handled the first one, 122-102, back on Nov. 8.
Luka Doncic is putting up 33.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.7 assists, and LeBron James remains the other key piece if he plays.
For the Hawks, Jalen Johnson has been a monster at 23.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 8.2 assists.
This one gets spicy fast because the Lakers need a clean response after the Kings’ loss, where Doncic felt discomfort in his groin and is questionable for tonight.
The Hawks have been playing loose and confident post-trade for CJ McCollum, sending Trae Young to the Wizards.
Injury Report
Lakers
Austin Reaves: Out (left calf strain)
Jaxson Hayes: Out (left hamstring soreness)
Adou Thiero: Out (right MCL sprain)
Luka Doncic: Questionable (left groin soreness)
LeBron James: Questionable (left foot joint arthritis, right sciatica)
Hawks
N’Faly Dante: Out (right knee torn ACL)
Luke Kennard: Out (neck sprain)
Kristaps Porzingis: Out (left Achilles tendinitis)
Zaccharie Risacher: Out (left knee bone contusion)
Asa Newell: Available (right quad contusion)
Why The Lakers Have The Advantage
The first thing is a better defense unit if Luka is out; the Lakers simply live in a different neighborhood there. They’re allowing about 116.5 points per game in the bottom half of the league, and that matters a lot against a Hawks team that wants to run it up and bomb threes early.
Offensively, the Lakers can still win “ugly” when the jumper isn’t falling, because they shoot 49.5% from the field and can lean on rim pressure, post touches, and late-clock creation from Doncic if he finally goes. The Hawks can get loose defensively, and that’s exactly the type of opponent Luka tortures.
This matchup also screams “half-court possession game” if the Lakers control tempo. When they keep it tight, rebound clean, and don’t hand out freebies, it forces the Hawks to create against set defense instead of living off momentum.
Why The Hawks Have The Advantage
The Hawks’ edge is firepower and spacing, point blank. They’re at 118.4 points per game, they hit 37.4% from three, and they move it like crazy at 31.2 assists per game. If they get the Lakers in rotation, it turns into drive-kick, extra pass, splash, and it happens fast.
They also take better care of the ball than people assume, at 14.9 turnovers per game, and that’s huge against a Lakers group that can get sloppy when the supporting cast changes night to night.
And mentally, the Hawks can play with the “we already did it once” confidence. They already beat the Lakers by 20 earlier this season, and that kind of memory makes a road game feel way less intimidating.
X-Factors
Deandre Ayton is the first domino. He’s at 13.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks, and the Lakers need him to be loud at the rim if LeBron and Luka are limited or one sits. If Ayton owns the glass and makes the paint feel crowded, it cuts off a lot of what the Hawks want to do early.
Marcus Smart is the chaos lever. He’s at 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, plus 1.5 steals, and the Lakers need his ball pressure to disrupt that Hawks passing machine. If Smart turns a couple of those pretty possessions into live-ball turnovers, the whole flow changes.
Jarred Vanderbilt is the “dirty work or disaster” guy. He’s giving the Lakers 5.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 20 minutes, and his value is simple, extra possessions, scrambles, and doing the annoying stuff that keeps shooters uncomfortable. If he disappears, the Hawks’ wings get to play clean.
For the Hawks, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is suddenly the engine. He’s putting up 20.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, and he’s been comfortable creating against real pressure. If he wins his minutes and keeps the Hawks organized, it takes a ton of stress off everyone else.
Onyeka Okongwu is the other huge one. He’s at 16.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, and he’s been the steady paint presence that keeps the Hawks from getting bullied inside. If he holds his own against Ayton and doesn’t foul, the Hawks can stay in their preferred spacing.
And keep an eye on Corey Kispert as the “one run flips the game” shooter. He’s at 8.8 points per game and sitting around 38.0% from three, and he’s the type who can turn a 6-point game into a 15-point game in about 90 seconds.
Prediction
I’m leaning Lakers, mostly because the Hawks’ defense has been leaky all year, and this is the type of matchup where Doncic can basically pick his favorite matchup, call the action, and spam it until it breaks. If LeBron sits instead, I still trust the Lakers’ defense more than I trust the Hawks to get stops late.
Prediction: Lakers 118, Hawks 112
