For today’s game against the Hawks, Lakers superstar LeBron James was listed as questionable due to soreness in his left foot. The Lakers, who have lost six of their last eight games, just announced James’ status for tonight’s game. James will play tonight after being questionable all day earlier.

The Hawks have now gained momentum. They have won five straight, including victories over Cleveland (twice) and Milwaukee. They are playing really well right now and are healthier than the Lakers.

Heading into today’s game, the Hawks rank 8th in the NBA in PPG, 14th in FG%, 20th in 3PA, 23rd in 3P%, 6th in FTA, 25th in Turnovers and the 5th in rebounding. According to Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 15th in points per 100 possessions, 20th in effective field goal percentage, 21st in turnover percentage, 7th in offensive rebounding percentage and 9th in free throw percentage.

Currently, the Hawks rank 27th in PPG allowed, 13th in field goals allowed, 30th in three-point attempts allowed and 30th in three-point percentage allowed. According to Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta ranks 14th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 22nd in effective field goal percentage allowed.

The Lakers come into tonight’s game ranked 17th in PPG, 10th in FG%, 27th in 3PA, 20th 3P%, 3rd in FTA, 27th in rebounding and 7th in turnovers. According to Cleaning the Glass, LA ranks 12th in points per 100 possessions, 14th in effective field goal, 7th in TOV%, 23rd in ORB% and 1st in Free throw rate.

The Lakers’ problems lie on defense. The Lakers rank 22nd in PPG allowed, 30th in FG% allowed, 15th in 3PA allowed and 26th in three-point percentage allowed. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Lakers rank 27th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 26th in effective field goal percentage.

Trae Young is averaging 20.7 PPG and 12.0 APG (leading the league) in today’s game. The biggest criticism of Young’s game this year is that he doesn’t shoot the ball well. Young is shooting 38% from the field and 30% from three this season, but if he starts shooting well, caution is advised. He’s been a great facilitator this year and could make a big play against the Lakers’ poor defense.

Dyson Daniels scored just nine points in Wednesday’s win over Milwaukee, but defense is where he makes his biggest impact. His intensity has rubbed off on his teammates and led the Hawks’ surge on defense. My guess is that Daniels will be guarding D’Angelo Russell tonight.

Zaccharie Risacher has scored in double figures in five straight games and has shot 50% from three in four of his last five games. Three-point shooting has been the hardest part for Risacher so far, but he is starting to shoot it better in addition to playing good defense.

Jalen Johnson is averaging 20.1 PPG, 9.9 RPG and 5.5 APG this season and seems to be getting better with each game. He scored 23 points on 10-for-19 shooting against the Bucks on Wednesday and also had 13 rebounds and five assists.

Clint Capela will have a tough task with Anthony Davis tonight. Davis has been one of the best players in the NBA this season, averaging 26.9 PPG and 11.3 RPG. If James is indeed out, the Hawks can’t let Davis have a monster night and win the game on his own.

The Hawks’ bench was the catalyst for their five-game winning streak. De’Andre Hunter is playing the best basketball of his career, averaging 18.7 PPG off the bench and shooting 40.8% from three. Bogdan Bogdanovic had a 15-point game on Wednesday and Onyeka Okongwu played one of his best defensive games of the year. Kobe Bufking is only playing about 12 minutes per game, but he’s starting to get more comfortable

The Hawks’ defense and bench strength have carried them to this five-game winning streak and they will be the healthier team in this game. Atlanta can’t allow the Lakers’ role players to have big plays. In the loss to Dallas, the Mavericks were missing Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson, but Jaden Hardy, Spencer Dinwiddie and Naji Marshall had great games. You can’t let guys like Russell, Dalton Knecht or others get hot shots. The Hawks defense has been very good lately, so there is some belief that they can turn things around.

Additional links:

Hawks vs. Lakers: Injury report

The Atlanta Hawks are the hottest team in basketball and the NBA world is starting to take notice

NBA analyst shares what the Atlanta Hawks should be targeting at the trade deadline