Game of the Day: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Atlanta Hawks on NBA League Pass (7:30 ET)

Atlanta is on fire! The Hawks have won five straight games and are currently one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They have defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers twice and most recently, the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Impressively, four of their five wins have come by double-digit margins, propelling them into the quarterfinals of the Emirates NBA Cup.

2. The Lakers need a win:

The Lakers are still above .500, but they come into this matchup losers of six of their last eight games. The only wins were over the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs.

3. Youngsters taking over in Atlanta:

Young has been Atlanta’s best player for a handful of years, but these young guys have changed this team. Jalen Johnson broke out in the final months of the 2023-24 season and looks like a candidate for the Kia Most Improved Player this season. He’s averaging 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks while shooting 51% from the field. Dyson Daniels was the key piece of the Dejounte Murray trade and could be in the running for Kia Defensive Player of the Year. Daniels is averaging 13.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. Those three steals per game are the highest total in the NBA. 

4. Lakers have the edge:

These teams only play twice a year, but they rarely play close games. In fact, they haven’t had a game decided by eight points or fewer in six straight matchups, with the winner winning by an average of 16 points per game. The Lakers have been on the better end of that, winning three of their last four meetings with the Hawks.