OKC Thunder vs. Atlanta Hawks, game preview

Tonight, the OKC Thunder complete the season series versus the Hawks. OKC shocked Atlanta via a 118-109 victory at Chesapeake on February 26th.

After the loss to the Thunder, the Hawks played the Heat and lost again — their 10th defeat in 14 games. With Bogdan Bogdanovic set to return Travis Schlenk made a strategic choice to fire Lloyd Pierce naming Nate McMillian interim head coach. Notably, since McMillan took over the Hawks haven’t lost (6-0).

OKC Thunder versus Atlanta Hawks preview:

Reflecting on the prior meeting a trio of Hawks provided the majority of their offense.  Clint Capella had a huge effort on the boards posting a double-double of 17 points and 21 boards, but may not be active (see injury notes below).

Trae Young had an uncharacteristic poor shooting night (7 of 21) and failed to get to the charity stripe (he averages 9.5 attempts per game). Yet, Young affected the game in other ways amassing 17 points,  six rebounds, and eight assists.

John Collins led the Hawks with 25 points and eight rebounds. The narrator has frequently opined on his value and the potential for Sam Presti to pursue him. The Athletic offered an NBA trade deadline big board and think OKC could be in the mix (or should be too).

"Keep an eye on opportunistic smaller market teams such as the Thunder, Hornets and Kings because talents of Collins’ caliber do not hit the market as often anymore, and match rights hold even more value to teams that rarely woo high-end players in free agency."

As for the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Theo Maledon had arguably their best game as the Thunder starting backcourt versus the Hawks. SGA scored 24 points on a highly efficient 9 of 16 from the field and hit three of his five 3-pointers. He added five rebounds, four assists, and a steal. Maledon served up his first career double-double of 13 points and 12 assists adding four rebounds and a steal.

Luguentz Dort shadowed Young (but didn’t foul him) while also scoring 19 points. Darius Bazley also produced a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds as well as an assist, steal and block. Again, note the injury report below as Bazley is listed as out for this match.

For those who want a refresher on the three keys to defeating the Hawks click this link.

Game specifics:

Records:

• Thunder: 17-23
• Hawks: 20-20

The Venue:  State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

Tipoff:  7:30 PM ET  | 6:30 PM CT

TV: Fox Sports  Oklahoma | NBA League Pass

Radio: WWLS 98.1 FM OKC

Odds:

Injuries:

Several players are out or questionable for the Thunder and while the injuries are real with the team focused on tanking they’ll take every precaution to get the players fully healthy before they return.

OKC Thunder:

• Darius Bazley will miss his fifth game due to a shoulder contusion
• Luguentz Dort has missed two games due to a left toe sprain and is questionable.
• Theo Maledon has a left thumb sprain and is also questionable.
• George Hill underwent a procedure on his ailing thumb that will keep him off the court until early March.
• Josh Hall is out with left knee soreness.
• Meyers Leonard was obtained as part of the Trevor Ariza deal but is not with the team. Leonard underwent season-ending shoulder surgery while still with the Heat.

Hawks:

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Clint Capela is dealing with pain in his left heel and is questionable for Thursday

Onyeka Okongwu has missed two games with an illness and is questionable.

Cam Reddish didn’t play Wednesday against the Celtics due to an issue with his Achilles and won’t play tonight.

Defensive specialist Kris Dunn was picked up by the Hawks but has yet to play this season as he continues to rehab from offseason knee surgery. The Hawks are monitoring him stating at the end of January they would reevaluate in two weeks, but no update has been provided.

De’Andre Hunter is out until April after suffered an articular tear in his right knee.

History:

The teams have played each other 136 times in regular-season history with the Thunder holding a 69-67 advantage.

The clubs played once In the 2019-20 campaign. This is the second and final meeting between the squads this season.

Check back with Intentions in the morning for player grades and three takeaways offering insights and highlights from the game.