Atlanta ranks 28th in PPG allowed, 21st in field goal percentage allowed, 30th in 3PA allowed, and 30th in 3P% allowed. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks rank 27th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 27th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Although their games have been decided by a much narrower margin lately, the Celtics have the second-best record in the NBA for a reason. They are fifth in points per game, sixth in field goal percentage, first in three-point attempts, eleventh in three-point percentage, 13th in free throw attempts, 21st in rebounds and 20th in turnovers. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Celtics are first in points per 100 possessions, fourth in effective field goal percentage, first in turnover percentage, 19th in offensive rebounding percentage and ninth in free throw rate.

Defensively, Boston ranks eighth in points per game allowed, twelfth in field goal percentage allowed, thirteenth in three-point attempts allowed, and seventh in three-point percentage allowed. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Celtics rank ninth in points allowed per 100 possessions and 10th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

With Atlanta losing both Young and backup point guard Kobe Bufkin, Keaton Wallace now becomes the leading candidate to start as the Hawks’ starting point guard. Atlanta simply can’t expect much from him as a scorer given that he will be facing the combination of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. It will be critical for Wallace to make good decisions as a passer and find Johnson/Risacher when they are open so they can hit the threes needed to keep the Hawks in the game.

Speaking of Risacher, this is arguably the biggest role he’s had to date in his young NBA career. He will be relied upon as a secondary offensive creator and will have to be aggressive to the rim. Assuming the Celtics play Horford, it should be easier for Risacher to get to the rim and make his impact felt inside. He is currently shooting 54.5% at the rim, so the numbers have room for improvement in that area. For tonight, Risacher needs to make quick decisions and limit turnovers so the Hawks don’t diminish their own margin for error. It will be a good challenge for the young wing.

One potential bright spot for the Hawks is their pivotal play against Boston. Onyeka Okongwu was excellent in the last meeting of these two teams, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He has looked better this season as a scorer. This season, he is shooting a career-best 84% from the charity stripe on a career-high number of attempts per night (5.7) and is converting 74.4% of his shots. to the rim (compared to 74% last season). He also fouls more frequently when on offense, indicating a higher level of aggression as a scorer. His defense hasn’t stood out as much, but the potential for him to be the athletic defensive piece he was in 2022-23 is still there.

Dyson Daniels should also have an impact on offense in this matchup. He is averaging a career-high four attempts from deep and has more than doubled his total number of attempts from 5.1 to 12.1. That’s a function of his role as a starter and he seems to have accepted that role. However, his overall shooting hasn’t been as consistent. Despite some games where the shot falls well on him, he is shooting a paltry 27.8% from deep so far this year. This has to be a good scoring game for Daniels if the Hawks have any chance of staying in this one. On defense, there is little to worry about. He averages a career-high 3.3 steals per game and is the Hawks’ best perimeter defender. I think putting Daniels in White as the primary defender could be a smart move, especially if Tatum is out.

Ultimately, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Celtics gave Tatum and Horford the night off, but they haven’t been ruled out yet. This article will be updated if that happens.”

According Fanduel sports bettingBoston is a 15-point favorite tonight and the total is set at 226.5.

Even if Tatum and Horford sit, this is a tough matchup for the Hawks, as Boston would still have Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday. It should be noted that the Hawks were underdogs in a game against Boston last season and won. Neither Trae Young nor Jalen Johnson played in that game. Johnson might have some heroics in store tonight and maybe Risacher will have another breakout game, but it’s hard to see this team being competitive in Boston against the Celtics.

Final score: Boston 119, Atlanta 102

Additional links

Could the Oklahoma City Thunder target an Atlanta Hawks center in a potential trade?

Three reasons why the Atlanta Hawks can qualify for the NBA Cup knockout round

NBA analyst reveals what the Atlanta Hawks’ biggest fear should be for the rest of this season