Is Quentin Grimes Playing Tonight vs the Atlanta Hawks?

The Atlanta Hawks have an opportunity to clinch the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference tonight when they face the Philadelphia 76ers. This is the second straight opponent for the Hawks that has zero interest in winning the game and is looking to get to the offseason as quickly as possible. Last night, Atlanta face the Brooklyn Nets and won handily, controlling the game completely. Will they get a similar result tonight vs the 76ers? Atlanta is looking to sweep the series against the 76ers with a win tonight.

Our own Rohan Raman gave an in-depth preview for tonight's game:

"Coming into tonight's game, the Hawks are 5th in the NBA in PPG, 14th in FG%, 15th in 3PA, 19th in 3P%, 2nd in FTA, 26th in turnovers, and 14th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 14th in points per 100 possessions, 15th in effective field goal percentage, 22nd in turnover percentage, 12th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 7th in free throw rate.

Currently, the Hawks rank 27th in PPG allowed, 28th in field goal percentage allowed, 16th in three-point attempts allowed, and 28th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 19th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

The 76ers' offense is one of the NBA's worst. They are 26th in the NBA in PPG, 22nd in FG%, 17th in 3PA, 27th in 3P%, 9th in FTA, 8th in turnovers, and 30th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Philadelphia is 22nd in points per 100 possessions, 22nd in effective field goal percentage, 12th in turnover percentage, 22nd in offensive rebounding percentage, and 5th in free throw rate.

They also have a worse perimeter defense than the Hawks. Phiadelphia ranks 21st in PPG allowed, 30th in field goal percentage allowed, 14th in three-point attempts allowed, and 29th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Sixers are 26th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 30th in effective field goal percentage allowed. However, they do have the third-best TOV% on defense with a 16.4% mark.

After his big night yesterday, Risacher has another opportunity to sway voters tonight. Most voters are considering him against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle as the likely winners of the 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Yesterday's scoring explosion was his fourth 30-point game of the season and he made a big statement with it. Philly's defense can't stop anyone from deep, and they let Risacher hang 22 on them in his last appearance against them. Although his shooting numbers will likely decline from yesterday, he could have a similar game tonight.

Trae Young has been excellent down the stretch for Atlanta. He's recorded 20+ points and 10+ assists in four of his last five games and seems fully poised to lead the Hawks offense to a playoff berth. It's a welcome change from last season where he played with a lingering finger injury and simply didn't look right. Last season's roster was incredibly reliant on DeAndre Hunter and Dejounte Murray while this team's approach is much more balanced and depth-based. This time, Young is healthier and surrounded by more complementary talent. The Hawks are far from a threat to make a Finals run, but this is very obviously a better team than last year's lineup.

A former 76er, Niang has been excellent against Philadelphia during his stint with the Hawks. During their last game, he had 20 points on 5-8 shooting from deep. Again, Philly has one of the worst perimeter defenses in basketball. It's not out of the question for him to repeat that performance. Atlanta also got a double-double from Dominick Barlow against the 76ers and even though he's had his struggles this year, this is an appetizing matchup for the young big man."

Additional Links

Hawks vs 76ers Preview: Game Preview, Betting Odds, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups For Tonight's Game

Zaccharie Risacher Sets New Career High vs Brooklyn As Hawks Dominate The Nets On The Road

ROTY Statement? Hawks Fans And NBA World React to Zaccharie Risacher Scoring Career High 38 Points vs Brooklyn