Hawks Face Suns in Crucial Matchup Amid Jalen Johnson’s Absence

ATLANTA, Ga. — The Atlanta Hawks (19-19) and Phoenix Suns (19-19) will face off Tuesday night at State Farm Arena in a pivotal matchup between two .500 teams. The game, tipping off at 7:30 p.m. EST, marks the second meeting in a back-to-back series between the two teams.

Both teams announced their starting lineups ahead of the game. The Hawks will start Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Vit Krejci, and Clint Capela. The Suns will counter with Tyus Jones, Devin Booker, Ryan Dunn, Kevin Durant, and Mason Plumlee. Notably, the Hawks will be without Jalen Johnson and De'Andre Hunter, who are sidelined due to injuries.

Johnson’s absence has been a significant factor in the Hawks’ struggles this month. Since he last played on Jan. 2, Atlanta has gone 1-4, dropping their record from 18-15 to 19-19. Johnson, who is averaging 19.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, is a key contributor on both ends of the floor. His absence has exposed the team’s lack of depth at power forward and backup point guard.

“It is hard to overstate how much he means to the team,” said Jackson Caudell, who covers the Hawks for On SI. “Johnson is a terrific rebounder, a good on-ball defender, and the Hawks’ second-best offensive creator.”

The Hawks’ recent struggles include a blowout loss to the Denver Nuggets, a narrow win over the Utah Jazz thanks to a Trae Young halfcourt buzzer-beater, and a loss to the Suns earlier this month. Atlanta will look to bounce back tonight before traveling to Chicago to face the Bulls on Wednesday.

The game will be broadcast on the FanDuel Sports Network Southeast and can be streamed via the FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo, NBA League Pass (out of market), and YouTube TV (NBA League Pass out of market). Radio coverage is available on Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM) and SiriusXM.