Clippers vs. Hawks tonight at Intuit Dome: late tip, key injuries, and three swing matchups to watch

Bassyonni

ago 2 hours

Clippers vs. Hawks

The Los Angeles Clippers host the Atlanta Hawks tonight at Intuit Dome in Inglewood with a West Coast tip at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT (early Tuesday in the UK and Europe). It’s a crossroads game for both sides: Los Angeles is trying to stop a skid after a promising home start, while Atlanta opens a road swing looking for answers without its top playmaker.

The headlines

Tip time: 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT), Monday, Nov. 10
Venue: Intuit Dome, Inglewood
Form check: The Clippers have dropped multiple in a row after a 3–0 home launch; the Hawks are hovering around .500 with uneven defense but spurts of explosive scoring.

Injury picture

Hawks: Trae Young remains out, placing heavier creation duties on the wings and secondary guards. Jalen Johnson has also been sidelined, thinning Atlanta’s two-way forward depth.
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard has been day-to-day with an ankle issue and is not expected to play tonight; availability updates near tip could still shift rotations.

(Statuses can change close to game time; team announcements take precedence.)

Probable rotations (subject to change)

Clippers: James Harden, Terance Mann, Paul George, P.J. Tucker/Daniel Theis (matchup dependent), Ivica Zubac. Bench punch from Norman Powell and length from Amir Coffey on the wing.

Hawks: Dejounte Murray, De’Andre Hunter, Saddiq Bey, Onyeka Okongwu, Clint Capela. Look for Bogdan Bogdanović and young guards to shoulder scoring and second-unit organization.

Three swing matchups

1) Paul George vs. Atlanta’s wings
With Leonard tracking out, George becomes the Clippers’ downhill engine and late-clock shotmaker. Atlanta’s best counter is disciplined help off the strong side and making George see bodies early. If he lives at the elbows and the stripe, it tilts toward L.A.

2) Glass control: Zubac & Capela
Two elite rebounders collide. Zubac powers second-chance points for the Clippers; Capela is Atlanta’s margin protector on both ends. Whichever center wins the tip-outs and box-outs narrows the math in a game likely decided by a handful of extra possessions.

3) Shot creation without Trae
Dejounte Murray’s midrange and drive-and-kick become central. If L.A. shows length at the point of attack and sits on the pull-up, Atlanta needs Bogdanović movement shooting and Hunter/Bey slashes to keep pace. A cold corner-three night is trouble.

What each team needs

Clippers

Keep it simple: 5-out spacing for Harden/George, empty-corner pick-and-roll to target single coverage, and let Powell hunt mismatches off the bench.
Defend without fouling: Atlanta’s half-court efficiency drops when it’s jump-shot reliant. Avoid reach-ins and force contested twos.
Second unit surge: Stagger one star at all times; quick-hitting Spain actions can free short-rolls for easy paint touches.

Hawks

Push pace selectively: Live-ball stops are the runway; walk-up possessions favor the Clippers’ set defense.
Win the paint with cuts: Back cuts behind Harden/George when they show help, plus baseline duck-ins for Capela, can manufacture rim looks without Trae’s lobs.
Keep the arc honest: Bogdanović and spot-up wings must punish nail help—35%+ from three is the threshold to steal it late.

X-factors

Norman Powell (LAC): If he cracks 18+ points on efficient touches, the Clippers’ offense usually hums.
Onyeka Okongwu (ATL): Minutes at the 4/5 against bench units can swing the glass and switchability, especially if he hits a couple of pick-and-pop jumpers.
Turnover battle: L.A.’s giveaways have fueled opponents’ runs; keep it under 13 and the half-court advantage shows.

Why this one matters in November

For Los Angeles, halting the slide preserves early-season home dominance and buys time to get healthy. For Atlanta, a shorthanded win on the road stabilizes the trip and proves the offense can hum without its All-NBA engine. Expect a tight whistle, heavy star usage in the fourth, and at least one bench cameo—Powell or Bogdanović—deciding a two-possession finish.