Kristaps Porziņģis nears return as Hawks battle injuries and a surging Heat squad. Can their frontcourt find stability?
The Atlanta Hawks may be close to getting a key piece of their frontcourt back as they prepare for a pivotal Eastern Conference matchup Tuesday night against the Miami Heat.
Atlanta upgraded center Kristaps Porziņģis to questionable on the official injury report after he missed the past 12 games with left Achilles tendinitis. Porziņģis last played Jan. 17, and his potential return would come at a moment when the Hawks’ depth in the middle has been stretched thin.
The Hawks have managed without him, but not without consequence. Starting center Onyeka Okongwu has missed the past two games and remains day-to-day after suffering a dental fracture when he was struck in the face against Boston on Jan. 28. His absence coincided with Atlanta’s current two-game losing streak.
Porziņģis, 30, has appeared in just 17 of the Hawks’ 51 games this season as he continues to manage both injuries and symptoms related to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. The condition can cause dizziness, fatigue and increased heart rate when moving from lying down to standing. While there is no cure, treatment and lifestyle management have allowed him to remain effective when available.
In those 17 games, Porziņģis has provided steady production. He is averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 24.3 minutes per game while shooting 45.7% from the field and 36.0% from three-point range. Advanced lineup data shows Atlanta scoring more efficiently and defending better with him on the floor, underscoring the value of his spacing and rim protection.
Atlanta enters Tuesday having won four of its last six games but sits three games behind Miami in the standings. The Hawks are tied for ninth in the league in scoring at 117.2 points per game and continue to search for consistency as the roster adjusts following last month’s trade that sent Trae Young to Washington.
Since that move, the offense has increasingly run through forward Jalen Johnson, who has taken on a franchise-level role. Johnson recorded his eighth triple-double of the season in Saturday’s 129-124 loss to Indiana, finishing with 33 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He is averaging 23.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the season.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder said the team’s identity remains rooted in ball movement and unselfish play, even as lineups continue to shift.
“When our guys get him the ball, they know they will get it back,” Snyder said of Okongwu. “He will make a play for someone else. He sets the example, but we need everyone to play with the same mindset.”
Miami presents a different kind of challenge. The Heat rank second in the NBA in scoring at 120.0 points per game and have won four of their last six contests. They sit seventh in the Eastern Conference at 27-24 and have not lost consecutive games since early January.
A recent boost has come from guard Pelle Larsson, who has taken advantage of increased minutes amid injuries in Miami’s backcourt. Larsson has scored at least 20 points in back-to-back games, providing energy and versatility rather than just offense.
Heat captain Bam Adebayo emphasized Larsson’s broader impact.
“Pelle makes the right play,” Adebayo said. “Sometimes he scores 20 points. Sometimes he scores two. But he makes an impact either way.”
Whether Porziņģis returns or not, Atlanta knows the margin for error is narrowing. A healthy presence in the paint could be a stabilizing force as the Hawks try to halt their slide and gain ground in a crowded playoff race.