Despite coming off a tragic loss, the Atlanta Hawks had a fairly great game against the Dallas Mavericks. Their entire starting lineup scored in double digits including a 30-point special from Trae Young. Dejounte Murray backed him up with 22 points of his own. The Hawks played significantly better defense than the Mavericks, however, Luka Doncic was simply unstoppable that night.
PUT SOME RESPECT ON DEJOUNTE MURRAY NAME
pic.twitter.com/HgEhzBLwp7— K🪼 (@KentrelUTD) January 20, 2024
The same cannot be said for the Toronto Raptors, who will face the Hawks at the State Farm Arena tonight. Toronto had issues all over the floor starting from their scoring efficiency. They averaged 45.8% from the field on 96 attempts, 18.8% from deep, and a poor 59.1% from the foul line. Both teams rank below the Play-In Tournament berths in the Eastern Conference as well.
Dejounte Murray is available to start for the Hawks vs. Raptors game
Dejounte Murray hasn’t missed many games this season, which has worked out for the Hawks. Without the former All-Star, the Hawks have a losing record of 3-5. This season, Murray is averaging 21.4 points, 5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on 46.9% shooting. However, the Hawks are facing chemistry issues between Murray and Young, which is why the former is being linked to trade talks of late.
Atlanta Hawks Injury Report:
- Bruno Fernando (Out)
- Vit Krejci (Out)
- De’Andre Hunter (Out)
- Mouhamed Gueye (Out)
Atlanta Hawks Expected Lineup:
- Trae Young
- Dejounte Murray
- Saddiq Bey
- Jalen Johnson
- Clint Capela
Toronto Raptors Injury Report:
- Immanuel Quickley (Out)
- Jontay Porter (Probable)
- Jakob Poeltl (Doubtful)
- Markquis Nowell (Out)
Toronto Raptors Expected Lineup:
- Dennis Schroder
- Gary Trent Jr.
- RJ Barrett
- Scottie Barnes
- Thaddeus Young
WATCH YOUR HEAD 🤯
GRADEY ↗️ RJ pic.twitter.com/xttWgrEUgB
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 27, 2024
It will be hard for the Raptors to keep up with the Hawks’ offense. Things will most likely be harder since Immanuel Quickley has been ruled out. Quickley was recently acquired in a trade involving the New York Knicks. He’s been averaging 15.5 points as a starter on the team.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Toronto Raptors Game Prediction
The biggest advantage the Hawks have over the Raptors is their presence on offense. They rank fifth in the league in points scored averaging 120.1 per game. Their offense is led by Trae who is currently averaging 27 points, 3 rebounds, and 10.8 assists per game. He recently returned to the lineup after suffering from a concussion.
Atlanta and Toronto have 52 wins each in head-to-head battles over the years. However, in their last five games, the Hawks have lost three. They have met twice this season with both teams taking a victory from each other.
Dejounte Murray hits the game-winner back-to-back nights. pic.twitter.com/vLknbrf9ye
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 20, 2024
Trae Young and Dejounte Murray are expected to lead the Hawks to a victory, especially based on their capabilities. Both of them are All-Star caliber athletes in the league, which also adds a lot of pressure on the Hawks to win. The Hawks have a better defensive lineup which ultimately makes them the favourites.