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The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming home to take on the Atlanta Hawks, looking to build momentum on a two-game winning streak. As mentioned before, the Cavs are heating up, soundly defeating the Miami Heat 126-106. The Hawks, meanwhile, are on a six-game losing streak and are dealing with numerous injuries to key depth on their roster.
This season, this will be the third and final matchup between Cleveland and Atlanta. The Hawks are 2-0 against the Cavs this year, so Cleveland will look not to get swept. However, both teams are dealing with numerous injuries, so health will play a factor in the matchup.
Who is on the injury report for the Hawks against Cleveland?
The Hawks will be without Bogdan Bogdanovic (not with the team), Kobe Bufkin (shoulder), Clint Capela (back), Jalen Johnson (labrum), Daeqwon Plowden (NBA G League assignment), and Cody Zeller (not with the team). Atlanta superstar Trae Young, meanwhile, is considered probable despite dealing with hamstring tightness.
The Atlanta Hawks are facing a harsh blow with the injury of Johnson, their star sharpshooting forward. He suffered a left shoulder injury during the second quarter of the game against the Toronto Raptors and could not return. Since then, Johnson has remained sidelined, and in the Hawks' recent matchup against the Houston Rockets, he was seen on the bench sporting a sling.
Johnson has been a vital contributor to the Hawks this season, even mentioned in discussions for the Most Improved Player award. His absence has been felt significantly as the team struggles to find a way to fill the gap left by his contributions on both ends of the court.
With other injuries also impacting the roster, it looks like a challenging road ahead for Atlanta as they seek to navigate these setbacks.
Do the Cavs have any serious injuries when facing Atlanta?
For Cleveland, the Cavs will be without Luke Travers. Cleveland's rookie is on assignment with the Cleveland Charge, the NBA G League affiliate of the Cavs. Travers needs on-court opportunities to grow and develop, something he doesn't regularly get with the Cavs.
The more concerning injuries are that Cleveland will be without Isaac Okoro (shoulder), Dean Wade (knee), and Caris LeVert (wrist). Okoro has been dealing with a nagging shoulder injury for quite a while, which has sidelined him for two separate stretches.
Not having Okoro available hurts Cleveland's defense. But not having Wade makes things even worse. Wade has emerged as a critical lynchpin for the Cavs on either end of the floor.
He's showcased an ability to defend multiple positions. He's also hurt opposing defenses at the rim or on the perimeter. The Cavs recently announced that Wade would be sidelined indefinitely, making it a harder pill for Cleveland to swallow.
To round things out, LeVert has now missed four-straight games with a nagging wrist injury. LeVert is critical to Cleveland's bench, helping maintain the team's dynamic offensive flow and exposing flaws in opposing defenses. It could still be a while before he's back in the lineup. Max Strus and Ty Jerome will both continue to benefit from his ongoing absence.
Thankfully, Cleveland should have Darius Garland back after Garland sat out against the Miami Heat. There's no serious concern about Garland in the long term. The team just found a chance to rest him. Sharpshooter Sam Merrill, meanwhile, is questionable and will likely be a game-time decision. Merrill has been dealing with an illness, and his availability will depend on how he feels pregame.
