On a back-to-back tonight, the Atlanta Hawks are traversing both ends of the NBA spectrum in their recent schedule. They dropped a close game to the Boston Celtics where Payton Pritchard hung 36 points on a worrying Hawks perimeter defense. Fortunately for Atlanta, tonight’s opponent is a far cry from the playoff-bound Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference.
The Sacramento Kings are usually towards the bottom of the NBA standings and this year has been no different. They are a dismal 15th in the Western Conference and have two of the most negative-value contracts in the NBA with Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine. There’s been some fun development stories with the Kings, but the vast majority of the season has put into perspective just how far they are from being competitive.
Even so, the Hawks are in a delicate situation in the Eastern Conference. There are only 1.5 games separating the 6-10 seeds in the East and the Hawks are currently sitting in the No. 6 seed. They have to fend off a surging Hornets squad as well as the Magic and the Heat. It’s good that they have a tie-breaker over the 76ers, but there’s a slim chance that Philadelphia could also go on a run now that they have a healthier roster. In short, there’s a lot left to be decided towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket and the Hawks are right in the thick of things. Taking care of these games is how they hold position.
By the Numbers
Nov 12, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) between Sacramento Kings forward/guard DeMar DeRozan (10) and center Domantas Sabonis (11) during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
They didn’t have an amazing night against the Celtics, but the Hawks are still one of the better offenses in the NBA and should pose a threat for the Kings. Coming into this game, the Hawks are 7th in points, 13th in FG%, 6th in 3P%, 18th in FT%, 18th in rebounds (21st in OREB, 13th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 12th in turnovers per game. They’re 15th in offensive rating this year.
Despite getting torched by Pritchard, the Hawks had some positive stretches on defense against the Celtics. The Hawks are 17th in points allowed, 18th in FG% allowed, 15th in 3P% allowed, 25th in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 18th in blocks. They’re 11th in defensive rating this year.
All three of Sacramento’s highest-paid players are known as scorers, but the Kings offense is still very disjointed and their offense hasn’t gotten much better with two out of three injured. They are 28th in points, 18th in FG%, 29th in 3P%, 20th in FT%, 25th in rebounds (17th in OREB, 28th in DREB), 18th in assists, and 11th in turnovers per game. They’re 27th in offensive rating this year.
The Kings’ defense is one of the worst individual units in the NBA. They are 28th in points allowed, 29th in FG% allowed, 29th in 3P% allowed, 18th in rebounds allowed, 20th in steals, and 21st in blocks. They’re 11th in defensive rating this year.
Three Reasons The Hawks Can Win This Game
Nov 12, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) and forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) as a timeout is called against the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
When evaluating how likely the Hawks are to win an individual game, the conversation usually starts by determining who’s guarding Jalen Johnson. If Keegan Murray was guarding him, that would be a really interesting matchup since Murray is one of the most versatile and talented defenders in the NBA. However, Murray’s been sidelined with an ankle injury and that leaves one of DeMar DeRozan or Precious Achiuwa to guard Johnson. Achiuwa’s the same defender who guarded Johnson when he had 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists on only one turnover and 10 total shots. It goes without saying that Johnson should be poised for a big game if he’s in the lineup and they should be able to pull this game out even if he doesn’t play. He’s officially hit the 65-game threshold to qualify for regular season awards and that means the Hawks can start to selectively rest him in favorable matchups.
If Johnson indeed sits, it’s fascinating to see how much run Zaccharie Risacher will get. Risacher actually had a higher plus-minus (+41) than Johnson (+39) during the last time the Hawks played the Kings. He had 15 points on only eight shots while excelling on defense. I’d argue that a empowered version of Risacher will be key for the Hawks’ chances down the stretch. That starts by giving him more on-ball opportunities against teams that are incentivized to lose. Yesterday’s game should be the last one where Jonathan Kuminga has more playing time than Risacher. Kuminga cannot defend and his offensive game doesn’t fit with this team’s playstyle against good teams. Of course, it’s possible that head coach Quin Snyder will deploy Kuminga heavily tonight since he can score a lot when he gets a lot of possessions run through him. They’ll need that with Johnson out. However, Risacher’s ability to get hot from deep paired with decent defense could swing a play-in/playoff game if Atlanta is able to use him correctly.
Even though the Hawks aren’t always the best in the halfcourt, they are one of the best fast-break teams in the NBA. Since the All-Star break, they are 2nd in fast break points and 1st in points off of turnovers. They capitalize really well on opportunities to run the floor and the Kings aren’t great at stopping opponents from doing that or doing it themselves. They are 24th in points off turnovers and 22nd in fast break points while being 17th in opponent points off turnovers and 29th in opponent fast break points. The Hawks have a ton of athletic wings on their roster and they are usually able to out-athlete weaker teams – the Kings are no different.
Three Reasons The Hawks Might Lose This Game
Nov 12, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward/center Onyeka Okongwu (17) receives the ball from guard Keaton Wallace (2) during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
In many of the Hawks’ losses, they usually lose the rebounding battle resoundingly. That was the case against the Celtics – they were out-rebounded by a 52-35 margin and couldn’t end possessions on defense (39-25 defensive rebounding margin). Since the All-Star break, the Celtics have led the NBA DREB%. Over that span, the Kings have had the seventh-best mark in the same category. Sacramento has two young centers in Dylan Cardwell and Maxime Raynaud, both of whom are above-average defensive rebounders for their position. This is still a relatively soft matchup for the Hawks’ frontcourt, but there’s reason to think the Kings will try hard on the glass.
Speaking of Raynaud, he’s a player to watch considering that the Kings have so many players out. He’s averaging 17.9 points per game on 65.1 TS% since the All-Star break while also grabbing 9.3 rebounds a game. Finding seven footers who can actually contribute on offense is always a good thing and this might be a quietly tough game for Okongwu on defense. Raynaud is also shooting 54% from the midrange, which is in the 85th percentile among all centers.
Stopping the Kings in the midrange is going to be a point of emphasis in this game. DeMar DeRozan is one of the best midrange shooters ever – he hasn’t shot below 46% from that area since he was on the Spurs and is currently shooting 50% on the season from midrange. Reynaud’s proclivity in the midrange is also impressive for a rookie. From three-point range, the Hawks just have to slow down Malik Monk if they want to win this game by a commanding margin. He and Doug McDermott are the only Kings shooting above 36% from deep on the season.
Injury Report
Atlanta Hawks – They are on a back-to-back and won’t release their report until later in the day.
Sacramento Kings – Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, DeAndre Hunter, Drew Eubanks, Keegan Murray and Russell Westbrook are all out while Isaiah Stevens, Nique Clifford and Killian Hayes are questionable.
How to Watch
Here is how you can watch tonight’s game:
Tip-off time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Where to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network
Projected Starting Lineups
Hawks
G – CJ McCollum
G – Dyson Daniels
F – Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F – Jalen Johnson
C – Onyeka Okongwu
Kings
G – Devin Carter
G – Malik Monk
F – DeMar DeRozan
F – Precious Achiuwa
C – Maxime Raynaud