The Atlanta Hawks and host Washington Wizards will both have different looks when the teams meet for the final time this season on Saturday.
Atlanta’s newest acquisitions acquired at the trade deadline — Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, Bones Hyland and Terance Mann — were with the team on Friday for the Hawks’ 115-110 win over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks, but they did not dress.
They made the postgame road trip and are expected to play against the Wizards.
Washington’s deadline acquisitions — Khris Middleton, Marcus Smart, Colby Jones and Alex Len — are also expected to be available. None of them played on Friday in Washington’s 134-124 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. AJ Johnson, also obtained by the Wizards at the deadline this week, played Friday and had two points and four assists in nine minutes.
“Khris is a championship-caliber player whose professionalism will help our organization in multiple ways,” Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said of Middleton.
Washington saw its three-game winning streak end on Friday and is now 5-21 at home, having lost its past eight at Capital One Arena.
The Hawks have won two of their past three since dropping eight in a row.
Both teams will be on the second half of a back-to-back. Washington is 0-8 in the second game of those situations; Atlanta is 4-6.
Washington leads the season series with Atlanta 2-1, though the Hawks took the most recent matchup 129-117 in Atlanta on Nov. 15.
Niang was happy to be reunited with Atlanta coach Quin Snyder, with whom he spent four seasons in Utah.
“I’m super excited to get back and get involved with a team that’s coached by him,” Niang said. “I told someone earlier that the way he breathes confidence into his players is second to none. He’s a real problem-solver. He’s real innovative in his ways of coaching, and that’s real beneficial to me.”
With Atlanta’s newcomers not in action yet on Friday, Mouhamed Gueye was pressed into extended minutes and produced his first career double-double. He finished with a season-high 15 points while posting career highs of 12 rebounds and four blocked shots.
“It’s just part of the process,” Gueye said. “I’ve been working my tail off the whole time. I pride myself in bringing the energy whenever I’m on the court.”
Washington’s bright spot mark on Friday loss was a career-high 45 points from Jordan Poole. The 25-year-old guard has scored 19-plus points in 16 of his past 22 games.
The Hawks and Wizards feature the top two picks from the 2024 NBA draft — Atlanta’s Zaccharie Risacher (No. 1) and Washington’s Alex Sarr (No. 2). Risacher averages 11.2 points and 3.4 rebounds. Sarr averages 11.5 points and 6.6 rebounds but has missed the past five games with a sprained left ankle.
Washington may be without Anthony Gill, who sprained his right ankle in the first half against Cleveland and did not return. The Wizards played Friday without Malcolm Brogdon (injury management) and Justin Champagnie (right rib contusion).
Atlanta expects Clint Capela to be available. He was out due to personal reasons on Friday but sat on the bench in street clothes.
–Field Level Media
