The second night of the Lakers’ back-to-back on their Eastern Conference road trip. Atlanta have found their feet after a shaky start and come into the game with their wing rotation firing and sitting fourth in their conference. The bad news for them is that Luka Doncic rested last night so he can play today.
Hawks vs Lakers date and time
Date: 9 November 2026, early hours of the 10th in UK time.
Time: These are the Hawks vs Lakers start times by time zone.
| United Kingdom | 00:00 |
| Dominican Republic, USA (Boston, New York and Miami), Puerto Rico and Venezuela | 19:00 |
| Mexico (central), USA (Texas and Chicago), El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua | 17:00 |
| Mexico (Pacific) and USA (Los Angeles) | 15:00 |
| Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay | 20:00 |
| Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama | 18:00 |
Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta (Georgia)
Hawks vs Lakers starting fives
Doncic remains doubtful.
| HAWKS | LAKERS |
| Kingston Fleemings | Luka Doncic/Quentin Grimes |
| Dyson Daniels | Austin Reaves |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Matisse Thybulle |
| Jalen Johnson | Jake LaRavia |
| Onyeka Okongwu | Walker Kessler |
Hawks vs Lakers: best bet
The Lakers are favourites, but only just. Atlanta should take advantage of the Angelenos’ accumulated fatigue, especially after a very physically demanding night against Detroit. That and home-court advantage could tip the balance in their favour. And put Lu Dort on Luka Doncic’s hip.
Latest on the Hawks: absences and form
- Out: Keshon Gilbert, Asa Newell, Mouhamed Gueye
- Doubtful: Jock Landale
Kingston Flemings has barrelled into the Hawks’ starting five like a tunnelling machine, with his basketball at 100 kilometres an hour. You have to accept that this team’s point guard is Jalen Johnson, and the rookie is an exquisite connector with more outside threat than Dyson Daniels and more defensive composure than CJ McCollum. Atlanta have not lost since he became a starter.
Their concerns for tonight lie in a thin interior rotation against a centre as dominant as Walker Kessler can be. If they opt for a switching defence with Okongwu, they could get hammered on the boards.
Player to watch: Jalen Johnson
He may not have the air of a superstar. But Jalen Johnson is a huge basketball talent. His percentages have dropped quite a bit and he is attempting fewer shots because of his approach to the offence as a top-of-the-key creator and playmaker. That said, when the Hawks need him, he turns in a 30-point, near triple-double game like the one he put up against Brooklyn two days ago.
Latest on the Lakers: absences and form
- Doubtful: Luka Doncic, Quentin Grimes
Even though the team falls apart without Luka Doncic and/or Austin Reaves on the court, it is showing a physical resilience and intensity it did not have before. Winning games through disruption and rebounding feels good even if the defensive numbers are yet to arrive. In the meantime, they will keep riding on the back of a Balearic youngster’s historic start.
Player to watch: Luka Doncic
Now, having rested that back, Doncic will be available (almost certainly) to pick up where he left off. Luka is feeling extremely comfortable against any kind of defence, always finding good shots for himself that perhaps are not so good for the rest of us mere mortals. Unlike at certain points last season, his love affair with the free-throw line speaks of his superiority rather than his knack for drawing fouls out of nothing. He is hitting 5.8 threes per game at 42%. On pace to surpass Stephen Curry’s best season…
Hawks vs Lakers: head-to-head record
The wins were split in the pair of games played last season. Exactly the same as in the two previous ones. That speaks to how even the matchup is, although historically Los Angeles lead 199-145.
Hawks vs Lakers predictions
Walker Kessler over 10.5 rebounds. He has already established himself as the owner of the Lakers’ paint and tonight he will face little opposition in the rival’s interior to go over double figures in rebounds.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker over 2.5 threes. Atlanta’s shooting guard is proving one of the Hawks’ main offensive weapons, averaging 22.1 points and 3.9 threes made per game. He is fourth in the whole NBA in threes made per game and has shown great consistency from the perimeter. Against a Lakers side conceding 15.2 threes per game, he will have plenty of opportunities to clear a line that looks fairly attainable.
Jalen Johnson over 7.5 assists. The forward is taking on more and more responsibility in running Atlanta’s offence, to the point of averaging 7.6 assists per game. His ability to create advantages from the high post and find open teammates will be crucial against a Lakers defence that gives up plenty of room for ball movement. In addition, the Hawks are one of the NBA’s top teams for assists, with 31.5 per game.
Where to watch Hawks vs Lakers
The game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers can be watched in the UK through an NBA League Pass subscription.
