Atlanta comes in laying heavy chalk, but this preview isn’t about the side — we’re focused on the total.
Game Overview
Atlanta's in the 8th seed spot, looking to maintain or secure Play-In positioning. Brooklyn? Playing out the string. But the Hawks are banged up, with Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr. out, and Trae Young nursing an Achilles issue (he played last game, but that’s a red flag on a back-to-back in a low-stakes spot).
Despite missing bodies, Atlanta’s offense has been clicking — 117.9 PPG (5th in NBA) — but it’s come with a pace-heavy style, not necessarily efficient shot selection. Their defense? Middle of the pack (111.9 allowed, 10th).
Brooklyn's dropped seven of their last ten, with a skeleton crew filling out the rotation. The Nets are without D'Angelo Russell, Cam Thomas, Dennis Smith Jr., and bigs Day'Ron Sharpe and Noah Clowney. That’s a whole lot of firepower and size on ice.
Key Matchups & Analysis
- Injuries and Lineups: Hawks are leaning heavily on Onyeka Okongwu (30 pts, 14 reb last game) and have a patchwork frontcourt. Nets are trotting out role players like Reece Beekman (0 points, 10 assists) and Trendon Watford. Not exactly an offensive juggernaut.
- Pace vs Efficiency: Atlanta takes the 4th-most shots per game but sits middle-tier in FG%. Brooklyn is bottom-third in offensive metrics and ranks 20th in steals, 24th in blocks. But they don’t push pace and struggle to get clean looks.
- Totals Trends: Atlanta is 47-29-3 to the Over this year, but most of that came with better health and higher-caliber opposition. Brooklyn has trended Under in 5 of their last 7, and without scorers, it’s tough to envision offensive consistency.
