After missing the last game with right shoulder soreness, Trae Young is expected to return to the lineup when the Atlanta Hawks host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
The Hawks have won two straight, including a 117-109 defeat of Denver on Friday when they played without Young and starters John Collins and De’Andre Hunter. The Thunder have also won two in a row after Saturday’s 135-128 victory at Minnesota.
Atlanta swept the two-game series last season and has won three straight against the Thunder. The Hawks have a three-game winning streak against Oklahoma City in games played in Atlanta.
Collins will miss two weeks after injuring his left ankle while landing awkwardly on a failed lob attempt. Hunter is out a week with a right hip flexor strain. Atlanta’s Bogdan Bogdanovic played for the first time after offseason knee surgery, received a standing ovation and scored five points in 22 minutes against the Nuggets.
Rookie A.J. Griffin started for Young and scored a career-high 24 points. Jalen Johnson replaced Collins in the lineup and had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Atlanta is hopeful that Young can return after being a late scratch on Friday. He averages 27.8 points and 9.6 assists.
An Oklahoma native, Young enjoys playing against the Thunder. He scored 41 and 30 points against Oklahoma City last season and is averaging 24.3 points in seven career games against the Thunder.
The Thunder got their leading scorer back on Saturday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned after sitting out a game with a bruised hip and scored 33 points on 10-for-17 shooting.
The Thunder had seven players finish in double figures, including Josh Giddey with 21 points. He also had 12 rebounds and seven assists.
The Thunder have made offensive rebounding a focal point. OKC has had at least 10 offensive rebounds in 18 of its 23 games. They had 13 on Saturday, including five by Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to match his career high.
Oklahoma City’s Mike Muscala was active for the first time since Nov. 21 but did not play. The veteran — who spent five seasons with Atlanta — had been out with a broken finger.
The teams will complete the season series on Jan. 25 in Oklahoma City.
