The Golden State Warriors are all set to be back in action this Thursday after a tough past several days for the squad. Will the Warriors win one for Dejan Milojevic? Or, will the Atlanta Hawks buck the odds and steal a win in San Francisco to prevent a three-game losing streak?

Catch this game live on Thursday, January 25, 2024 at 11 AM, Manila time

Away: Atlanta Hawks (18-25/10-13 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

• Dejounte Murray
• Bogdan Bogdanovic
• Saddiq Bey
• Jalen Johnson
• Clint Capela

The Hawks will look to snap a losing skid without Trae Young this Thursday. Young missed Atlanta’s previous game, a 122-107 loss on the road to the Sacramento Kings last Tuesday, due to a head injury, and he will miss another game as he remains in concussion protocol. Atlanta’s floor is lower when Young is unavailable, but they still have the likes of Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic to help run the show, particularly on offense. 

Atlanta is sixth in the league with 119.7 points per game, and even though they played without Young in the meeting with the Kings, they still managed to better their season average in scoring, thanks in large part to Murray exploding for 35 points. The Warriors may have some considerable rust this Thursday after having their last two games postponed, so there could be another chance for Murray to shine. Golden State is just 22nd in the NBA with 118.2 points allowed per game and has also lost against the spread in five of the last seven meetings with the Hawks, dating back to 2019.

Home: Golden State Warriors (18-22/11-11 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

• Stephen Curry
• Klay Thompson
• Andrew Wiggins
• Draymond Green
• Kevon Looney

The Warriors will be playing with emotions this Thursday. The game versus the Hawks will be Golden State’s first since the death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic. The Warriors had their scheduled games versus the Utah Jazz on Jan. 18 and against the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 20 postponed, which means it’s been over a week since Golden State last played a game. 

The good news for Golden State is that it seems it is catching the Hawks at just the right time. As mentioned, the Hawks are currently without Young and are on a two-game losing skid. The Hawks have also lost three of their last four road games (1-3 ATS).  The Hawks’ vulnerable defense could end up being used by the Warriors as an outlet to vent out amid an emotional week for them. On the season, Atlanta is just 27th in the NBA with 122.4 points allowed per game.

PREDICTIONS:

Spread: The Warriors (-7.5) cover the spread.

Over/Under: The total (233.5) hits the Under.