Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks at 8:00 ET Saturday on NBA TV.
The Atlanta Hawks (4-5, 9th in Eastern Conference) host the Los Angeles Lakers (7-2, 2nd in Western Conference) Saturday at State Farm Arena.
The Hawks are playing their second game in as many nights after losing to Toronto in Friday’s Emirates NBA Cup East Group A action. The Lakers, meanwhile, will be well-rested, having last played Wednesday in a win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Here are three key storylines to know heading into Saturday’s inter-conference matchup.
Road Warriors: The Lakers embark on a five-game road swing Saturday. Being away from Crypto.com Arena has not fazed the Lakers this season, though. Los Angeles is the only team with a spotless road record thus far (4-0). They’ll be put to the test over the next week (ATL, CHA, OKC, NOP, MIL). The Lakers have been remarkably efficient in those road games, showing that the 4-0 record is no fluke. Their 119.6 ORTG in away games ranks second behind only the Rockets, and they lead the league in True Shooting Percentage (64.3%) in those games as well.
Slowing Down Dončić: Los Angeles’ Luka Dončić, an early-season Kia MVP Ladder candidate, has been on an absolute tear to begin this season. Through five games, Dončić has averaged 40.0 points on 50% shooting while pulling down 11.0 rebounds and dishing out 9.2 assists per game. His high level of play has been particularly important while the Lakers deal with a rash of injuries. LeBron James (back) has yet to play this season, and breakout star Austin Reaves (groin) will miss a third straight game. The Hawks will likely throw a number of looks at Dončić to try to slow him down, opening the possibility of reigning Kia Most Improved Player of the Year Dyson Daniels drawing the assignment on some possessions. Daniels is one of the best defenders in the league with a 3.1% steal percentage that rates in the 97th percentile this season. His ability to prevent Dončić from getting into the lane and getting easy buckets will be key.
Hawks must dig deep: Atlanta has a rest disadvantage in this spot coming off of Friday’s defeat against Toronto, while Los Angeles enters Saturday on two full days of rest. The Hawks fell 109-97 to the Raptors, shooting just 34.4 percent from the floor and mustering 44 second-half points. The offense has shown flashes of brilliance since All-Star guard Trae Young was injured against the Brooklyn Nets, putting up 128 points on the Indiana Pacers and 127 against the Orlando Magic. But the team must find a way to string those types of offensive performances together, especially against a team of Los Angeles’ caliber.
