Will Kawhi Leonard and Paul George Play Tonight? LA Clippers vs Atlanta Hawks: Injury Updates, Expected Lineups, and Game Prediction

The LA Clippers begin their Eastern Conference road trip tonight as they face the Atlanta Hawks. They will go toe to toe at the State Farm Arena in Georgia, at 7:30 pm EST.

The Clippers arrive in Atlanta on the back of a 7-game winning streak. Their most impressive result from that run was their 30-point blowout win against the Pacers. The Hawks lost their last game against the Bucks, which broke their 3-game winning run. That run was crucial for them as it helped to break their slump where they just had two wins in nine games.

LA Clippers expected lineup

The Clippers have two huge losses for this game. Their superstar duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have been ruled out due to COVID-19 protocol. They also have Patrick Beverley out of the game because of a knee injury. So they will be without three of their starters.

Their lineup could feature Reggie Jackson and Luke Kennard as their guards, Nicolas Batum and Marcus Morris Sr. as their forwards, with Serge Ibaka as their center.

Atlanta Hawks expected lineup

The Hawks have four important players on the questionable list: Cam Reddish (Achilles), Clint Capela (hand), Danilo Gallinari (ankle), and Trae Young (back). But they are likely to feature tonight.

So they could have an unchanged lineup with Trae Young and Kevin Huerter as their guards, De’Andre Hunter and John Collins as their forwards, with Onyeka Okongwu as their center.

Predictions

If George and Leonard were fit for the clash, the Clippers would have been the favorites easily. But without them, the Clippers are very weak. Both of them were having excellent campaigns so far, and without their scoring, the Clippers look like the second-best team. A win would have taken them back to the top of the Western Conference, but they are likely to stay second now.

This will be an excellent chance for the Hawks to regain momentum with a win. They have a back-to-back game against the Nets tomorrow, so this will be a tremendous morale boost for them. Young and Capela’s return will spark them on both ends, and that should be enough for them to triumph over the Clippers.