Toronto Raptors vs Atlanta Hawks: Going for back-to-back wins in Atlanta

For the second time in just over a week, the Raptors are going for a three-game win streak.

After beating the Hawks on their home turf on Thursday night, the Raptors stay in Atlanta for an Eastern Conference rematch tonight.

The Hawks are looking to snap a three-game losing streak that Toronto extended on Thursday, whereas the Raptors are seeking their first three-game winning streak of the season. Winning on the road has been rare to come by this season for Toronto, with Thursday’s win marking only their second road victory of the season. Each time the Raptors have won back-to-back games this season, both games have come on home court. Finally, they’ve been able to take their victory vibes on the road with them.

Thursday night’s win certainly didn’t come easy, with Atlanta’s star guard Trae Young putting up 13 assists in the loss. Raptors guard Davion Mitchell is known for his defensive prowess, and he followed through, holding Young to only 18 points and keeping him at 2-for-8 shooting the three ball. Even when he’s not scoring, though, Young is an exceptional passer and knows how to get buckets for his guys. Which do you contain, Young’s scoring or his passing? The answer was scoring on Thursday, so we’ll see if that strategy continues tonight.

For the Hawks, they’ll need him to do both, if he even plays. Much like Orlando, who the Raptors played before taking off for Atlanta, the Hawks are pretty beat up. A number of their starters, including Trae Young, are listed as questionable for the matchup, while some of Atlanta’s depth has already been ruled out. Most notably, 2024 NBA Draft first overall pick Zaccherie Risacher and fellow wing Jalen Johnson have both been ruled out of tonight’s matchup.

The two young wings were supposed to be the best of Young’s supporting cast, with Johnson having a breakout 2023-24 season and obviously having somewhat high expectations for this year’s first overall pick in Risacher.

All this injury talk does mean good news for the Raptors, who, despite missing three key rotational players themselves, aren’t AS injured as their opponents and could benefit with another win. Like most Raptors games this season, it’ll likely be a close affair for most of it, with their Thursday night win even coming down to only a three-point lead.

Where to Watch:

Sportsnet, 7:30 PM EST

Lineups:

Toronto: Davion Mitchell, Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl

Atlanta: Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu

Injuries:

Toronto: Immanuel Quickley — hip (OUT), Ochai Agbaji — hand (OUT), Kelly Olynyk — calf (OUT)

Atlanta: Kobe Bufkin — shoulder (OUT), Clint Capela — knee (PROBABLE), De’Andre Hunter — illness (QUESTIONABLE), Jalen Johnson — shoulder (OUT), Larry Nance Jr. — hand (PROBABLE), Zaccharie Risacher — hamstring (OUT), Trae Young — hamstring (QUESTIONABLE), Cody Zeller — not with team (OUT)