Right now, the Atlanta Hawks are playing a very fun brand of basketball.
When the team’s won ten straight games, it’s hard to nitpick. The Hawks haven’t just been pulling these wins out with clutch heroics, either. They’ve won nine of those ten games by a double-digit margin. The schedule may not be the hardest, but the Hawks have won the games they are supposed to.
Their most recent game against the Orlando Magic shows this win streak may not be much of a fluke. Orlando has been hobbled with injuries, but they still had Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane. It didn’t matter – the Hawks beat them by 12 in a game that they never lost control of. Orlando is currently the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, so it isn’t like the Hawks were playing a team drastically below their level. This performance bodes well for the Hawks’ chances of leap-frogging the Magic for a better seed if the bracket comes down to tiebreakers and they continue to tumble down the standings.
Tonight’s game should be easier. This season has not been kind to the Dallas Mavericks, but the progression of Cooper Flagg is all that really matters in the long-term. The best way to help him grow into the franchise superstar they need is to bottom out and try their hand with lottery luck once again. This is a team that the Hawks handled soundly during their win streak, but they’ll need to do it again in order to keep pace with the rest of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
By the Numbers
Mar 16, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) and forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) react during the game against the Orlando Magic during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
It’s easy to say when Nickeil Alexander-Walker does his best Steph Curry impression, but the Hawks offense has been really solid over this winning streak and it’s not hyperbole to suggest they’re one of the best in the NBA. They are 7th in points, 13th in FG%, 6th in 3P%, 21st in FT%, 17th in rebounds (22nd in OREB, 13th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 11th in turnovers per game. They’re 15th in offensive rating this year.
While the defense has rightfully been criticized this season, they’ve been better as of late and the defense was one of the biggest reasons why they blew the Magic out. They are 19th in points allowed, 18th in FG% allowed, 13th in 3P% allowed, 26th in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 19th in blocks. They’re 12th in defensive rating this year.
The Mavericks’ offense didn’t look great against the Hawks during their last matchup and it’s been a struggle for them to improve due to the lack of consistent backcourt options and an over-reliance on Cooper Flagg as a primary option. They’re 23rd in points, 17th in FG%, 27th in 3P%, 29th in FT%, 10th in rebounds (25th in OREB, 3rd in DREB), 24th in assists, and 12th in turnovers per game. They’re 26th in offensive rating this season.
While the offense has been disappointing, they are more competent on the defensive end. They are 23rd in points allowed, 17th in FG% allowed, 1st in 3P% allowed, 27th in rebounds allowed, 26th in steals, and 10th in blocks. They’re 16th in defensive rating.
Three Reasons Atlanta Can Win This Game
Mar 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots against the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Jalen Johnson vs Cooper Flagg is one of the most exciting matchups in the Hawks’ recent slate, but it’s still fair to say that Flagg isn’t anywhere close to Johnson’s level. He had 14 points on 16 shots – albeit 12 rebounds – while Johnson scored 27 points on just 18 shots to go with eight assists and seven rebounds. There might be something to the idea that Johnson is starting to find himself on defense towards the end of the season – he had a lot of success as the primary defender on Paolo Banchero in Atlanta’s most recent game. This matchup might be closer in the future, but it definitively leans toward Johnson for now.
Onyeka Okongwu isn’t an elite scorer, but he’s quietly been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Jalen Johnson’s offense. The duo of Okongwu and Johnson have a +2.7 net rating in their minutes partially because Okongwu is fifth among all centers for catch-and-shoot points per game.
The Hawks’ new focus on limiting turnovers and emphasizing ball movement has paid dividends for his production as well. In the last month, he’s actually third among all centers for catch-and-shoot points per game. Being able to utilize the center as an actual catch-and-shoot option gives the Hawks much more space to operate, and Atlanta might need a big night from him in order to prevent an upset win.
It was interesting to see the Hawks use Mo Gueye as a defensive option on Paolo Banchero and he did rather well in his short stint. I’d be curious to see if the Hawks deploy Gueye again for a decent amount of minutes against the Mavericks to both keep the frontcourt healthy and give him an opportunity to prove himself against another power forward with tons of strength. One of the hardest parts of keeping this streak alive will be their attrition and Atlanta should do what it can to ease the burdens of players that are guaranteed to have a significant role in the playoffs.
Three Reasons Atlanta Might Lose This Game
Mar 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) reacts after a basket with guard Max Christie (00) and forward P.J. Washington (25) and forward Cooper Flagg (32) against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
| Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Klay Thompson was one of the few Mavericks who was able to find success against the Hawks and he took turns punishing the Hawks for bad or late rotations. Thompson’s quick trigger and relocation abilities are still impressive – the Mavs are going to have to lean into shooting variance in order to win this game and Thompson is a massive part of that.
Even if Flagg is a step behind Johnson at this stage of his career, he’s still been enormously impressive as a rookie. He is fresh off a game where he put 21 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds on the Pelicans despite drawing Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III on defense. It’ll be interesting to see whether Johnson or Daniels are going to take the bulk of reps against Flagg, and there’s reason to think he can still succeed despite the lack of infrastructure around him.
The Mavericks are playing short-handed and don’t have a lot of talent on the roster right now, but one of the best parts of the season has been Khris Middleton in a veteran mentor role. Middleton isn’t the player he was at his peak, but he still has nights where he’s a reliable two-way presence and the Hawks would do well to remember that he’s still somewhat capable of getting hot. He was the only Maverick to have a positive game plus-minus while playing 24+ minutes a game against the Hawks. Defending him in the midrange is going to be a fun challenge for this defense and their communication on Middleton/Thompson catch-and-shoot threes is going to be critical to a victory tonight.
Injury Report
Atlanta Hawks- Jonathan Kuminga is questionable
Dallas Mavericks – Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II are both out while Daniel Gafford and Caleb Martin are questionable. Brandon Williams is doubtful.
How to Watch
Here is how you can watch tonight’s game:
Tip-off time: 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Where to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network and NBATV
Projected Starting Lineups
Hawks
G – CJ McCollum
G – Dyson Daniels
F – Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F – Jalen Johnson
C – Onyeka Okongwu
Mavericks
G – Cooper Flagg
G – Max Christie
F – PJ Washington
F – Naji Marshall
C – Daniel Gafford
I think Flagg is going to be better in this game, but the Mavericks are too short-handed to put up a real fight against a Hawks team playing with tons of confidence. They can’t be entirely dismissed since a hot night from Middleton or Thompson might keep it close. Ultimately, the Hawks are the better team and I expect them to show it tonight with a win.