Hawks vs Pacers: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineup for Tonight’s Matchup

The Atlanta Hawks are back in action tonight – absent a familiar face.

While the Hawks did pick up a win against the Nets in their last game, Trae Young left the first quarter with a right knee sprain. Even though he hasn’t consistently played at his usual standard, Young’s absence is going to leave a dearth of playmaking for Atlanta to overcome.

It remains to be seen exactly how long it will take for his return, but in the meantime, the Hawks are going to be shorthanded against the winless Indiana Pacers. After making the NBA Finals last season, the Pacers are poised for a rebuilding season. Franchise point guard Tyrese Haiburton is sidelined for the year while recovering from an Achilles tear, but he’s not the only big injury the Pacers have had to overcome. Four members of their Finals lineup – Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, TJ McConnell and Andrew Nembhard – are sidelined for tonight’s game.

Indiana is certainly battered at the moment, but they’ll be extra motivated to get their first win of the year. Fortunately, Atlanta has some momentum heading into this game. Jalen Johnson led the way with 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists while offseason additions Luke Kennard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker combined for 35 points. They’ll need a similar team performance in order to get back to a .500 record tonight.

This game also has big ramifications for Atlanta’s contention in the In-Season Tournament. Last year, the Hawks lost in the NBA Cup Semifinals to the eventual Cup winners, the Milwaukee Bucks, in a 110-102 loss. To avoid a similar fate, they’ll need to start by winning their easy matchups. Right now, Indiana projects to be that.

Mar 8, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) dribbles in front of Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images / Madeleine Mertens-Imagn Images

The Hawks’ offense had a good night against a hapless Brooklyn defense, which is pushing them up the rankings. They’re 23rd in points, 19th in FG%, 19th in 3P%, 21st in FT%, 26th in rebounds (20th in OREB), 8th in assists and 4th in turnovers per game. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if those numbers took a bit of a decline. Young’s floor on offense can’t be easily replaced.

Brooklyn’s heavy reliance on three-pointers leaves them at the mercy of shooting variance and thankfully, it swung in Atlanta’s favor during their matchup and improved their overall numbers. In a per-game basis, Atlanta ranks 20th in points allowed, 28th in FG% allowed, 5th in 3P% allowed, 26th in rebounds allowed, 17th in steals and 15th in blocks.

The injuries have wreaked havoc on a previously strong Pacers offense. They rank 25th in points, 29th in FG%, 26th in 3P%, 30th in FT%, 2nd in rebounds (5th in OREB), 27th in assists and 7th in turnovers per game. Their rebounding numbers have kept them in games, but it’s a far cry from the offensive juggernaut Indiana had last season.

Even though the Pacers have been able to hold up at the point of attack, their defense hasn’t been much better. They’re 22nd in points allowed, 11th in FG% allowed, 2nd in 3P% allowed, 29th in rebounds allowed, 30th in steals and 11th in blocks.

Mar 6, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) attempts to save a ball going out of bounds against the Indiana Pacers in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
/ Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Hawks have been far from perfect to begin the season, but they’ve gotten fairly consistent production from their centers. That continued against the Nets, where both Kristaps Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu had good games. Porzingis did a nice job of stepping into the vacated playmaking role left by Young’s injury, dishing out seven assists as an offensive hub. He only connected on two of his seven three-point attempts, but he’s still shooting 45% from deep on the year. Okongwu took a different approach – he dominated on the boards with a 12 point, 14 rebound double-double. It’s his third straight game with 10+ rebounds, which has been a good complement to Porzingis’ perimeter-based skillset.

Although it’s somewhat mitigated by the loss of Young, Indiana has struggled to refrain from fouling. They’re 30th in opponent free throw attempted rate and frequently put teams at the line. Atlanta’s 19th in FTA rate, so it isn’t a massive mismatch. However, they haven’t faced a team that fouls quite as much as the Pacers. If the Hawks can convert on their free throws, it’d be a big advantage over Indiana.

While it wasn’t instant, Atlanta’s role players are finally starting to round into their expected form. Kennard stepped into a bigger role versus Brooklyn because of Young’s absence and feasted, going 4-5 from deep and scoring 17 points alongside two assists. If he can take on a bigger playmaking role while picking his spots well from deep, the offense might be able to survive quite well without Trae. Alexander-Walker also has begun to look like the two-way wing the Hawks expected to acquire. He ut finished with 18 points, 11 of which came in the second half, while grabbing three rebounds and dishing out three assists. His defense was especially impressive – NAW got two steals and blocked three shots while closing the game on Cam Thomas. Tonight’s game will be a test of how much Atlanta has improved their depth. If they can beat the teams they are supposed to with or without Trae Young, that bodes well for their long-term upside.

Oct 8, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) is defended by Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

While the Pacers’ injuries have certainly taken a toll, their frontcourt has been excellent. Pascal Siakam is still a highly capable All-Star and averaging a career-best 26.3 points, 11 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He’s got help too – highly touted forward Jarace Walker is finally delivering on the promise Indiana saw when they selecting him in the lottery. Walker is averaging a career-high 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. The efficiency hasn’t been there, but Walker is still an athletic force that the Hawks might have trouble containing.

Atlanta’s most consistent issue this year has been their transition defense and that could be a problem against the Pacers, who lead the NBA in fast break points per game. This is a good opportunity for the Hawks to show that they can grow in that area, but Indiana certainly isn’t going to make it easy on them.

The Pacers also do a relatively good job of limiting turnovers – they’re 7th in that metric. Although Dyson Daniels has been playing great defense, his offense needs to come along so that he can stay on the court long enough to disrupt Indiana’s offense. The combination of Daniels and Alexander-Walker on defense have yet to be fully unleashed as a duo – could this be the game where it happens?

Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young is out.

Indiana Pacers: Taelon Peter is questionable while Johnny Furphy, Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, TJ McConnell, Kam Jones and Tyrese Haliburton are all out.

Here is how you can watch tonight’s game:

Tip-off time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

Where to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be favored on the road tonight as they are currently 2.5 point favorites according to the latest odds from the Fanduel Sportsbook, and the over/under is set at 230.5.

Hawks

G – Nickeil Alexander-Walker

G – Dyson Daniels

F – Zaccharie Risacher

F – Jalen Johnson

C – Kristaps Porzingis

Pacers

G – Ben Sheppard

G – Aaron Nesmith

F – Jarace Walker

F – Pascal Siakam

C – Isaiah Jackson