The Toronto Raptors look to put an end to their road woes when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks.
In their previous matchup this season, the Hawks blew out the Raptors 136-107 thanks to a 34-point outing from Trae Young.
The Raptors are coming off their best defensive performance of the season when they defeated the Orlando Magic 109-93. They will need another strong defensive performance in Atlanta as they try to contain Young’s impressive playmaking. Young is leading the NBA in assists this season at 11.6 per game and he can pick apart any defense. Scottie Barnes helped anchor the Raptors defense against Orlando and he will need to once again be impactful on the backline, especially with Young’s ability to split the defense and get downhill.
Young is the engine of the Hawks’ offense so if the Raptors can slow him down they will have a strong chance to win this game. Davion Mitchell will have the main responsibility of guarding Young with Barnes and Jakob Poeltl protecting the backline of the defense.
The Raptors are also looking for another strong effort from their second unit. Their bench play was solid in their win over Orlando. Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk combined for 27 points. With the trade deadline approaching those two players have been heavily featured in the Raptors’ rotation. Chris Boucher has had his moments of brilliance too this month and Jamal Shead continues to shoot the ball well from downtown.
For the Raptors Immanuel Quickley will miss his 5th straight game with a hip injury. There is no timetable set for his return. Meanwhile, Ochai Agbaji (hand) is questionable. For the Hawks, their rookie Zacharie Risacher (abductor), Larry Nance Jr. (hand) and Kobe Bufkin (shoulder) are all out.
Toronto Raptors (11-32) vs. Atlanta Hawks (22-21)
7:30 p.m. EST, Thursday, January 23, 2025
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: TSN
Projected Hawks Starting Lineup:
PG: Trae Young
SG: Dyson Daniels
SF: Deandre Hunter
PF: Jalen Johnson
C: Onyeka Okongwu
Key Reserves: De’Andre Hunter, Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic
Projected Raptors Starting Lineup:
PG: Davion Mitchell
SG: Gradey Dick
SF: RJ Barrett
PF: Scottie Barnes
C: Jakob Poeltl
Key Reserves: Jamal Shead, Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk
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