The Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat meet Sunday at 6:00 PM ET at Kaseya Center in a game shaped heavily by the injury report and the East standings race. Atlanta sits fifth in the Eastern Conference at 46-35, while Miami is 10th at 42-39.
Atlanta’s report is crowded with questionable tags, and that uncertainty could leave the Hawks short-handed against a Heat team that has already won two of the three meetings this season. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, RayJ Dennis, Keshon Gilbert, Jalen Johnson, Jonathan Kuminga, CJ McCollum, and Onyeka Okongwu are all listed as questionable, while Jock Landale is out with a right high ankle sprain.
The biggest name on Atlanta’s list is Jalen Johnson, who averages 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists.
Alexander-Walker has also been a major offensive piece, averaging 20.8 points while shooting 39.9% from three. Daniels brings elite defensive impact and playmaking, posting 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, so his status matters at both ends.
Okongwu’s availability is another key piece because he gives Atlanta 15.2 points and 7.6 rebounds a night. If he cannot go, the Hawks’ interior depth becomes a real problem against Miami’s front line.
Miami has a cleaner report, but it still includes important absences. Nikola Jovic is out with a left ankle sprain, Dru Smith is out with a right big toe sprain, Norman Powell is questionable with right groin soreness, and Simone Fontecchio is probable with left ankle soreness.
The Heat have several rotation players available, including Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell, and Andrew Wiggins. Herro averages 21.0 points, Wiggins adds 15.5 points, and Mitchell supplies 6.6 assists, giving Miami a more stable offensive core if Powell is limited.
That stability matters because Miami has been more efficient in recent games, coming off a 140-117 win at Washington. Atlanta, meanwhile, beat Cleveland 124-102 in its last outing, but the Hawks still face a tougher task if multiple questionable players are held out.
The season series also gives Miami a slight edge in the matchup. The Heat beat the Hawks 126-111 on Dec. 26 and 128-97 on Feb. 20, while Atlanta’s lone win came 127-115 on Feb. 3.
