The Hawks are home now and they will stay home for a while. The win over the Pistons Monday starts a stretch in which the Hawks play 9 of 10 games at Philips Arena. Atlanta has only one road game between now and Feb. 8, and even that visiting venture is the relatively short trip to New Orleans.
UPCOMING WEEK
Indiana Pacers (Wednesday | 7:30 PM | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets)
Oklahoma City Thunder (Friday | 7:30 PM | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets)
Minnesota Timberwolves (Sunday | 6:00 PM | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets)
1) Atlanta: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, there have only been three Eastern Conference teams in the past 15 years to string together a road winning streak of 11 or more games. All three went to the NBA Finals: Miami (2011, 2013) and Philadelphia (2001).
2) Oklahoma City: It has been a tale of two seasons in Oklahoma City. The Thunder started the season 5-12 while Kevin Durant recovered from a foot injury, and they are 15-8 since his return.
3) Indiana: The Pacers are one of four teams lurking just outside the current Eastern Conference playoff picture. In the Pacers' past 10 games, guard C.J. Miles has attempted a lot of three-point shots -- 76 of them, to be exact -- and converted them at a 35.5% rate.
4) Minnesota: It has been a long year for the Timberwolves. They acquired the #1 overall picks from the last two NBA drafts by sending Kevin Love to Cleveland. Unfortunately for the T-Wolves, Anthony Bennett hasn't been a difference maker, and Andrew Wiggins' push for the Rookie of the Year award hasn't been enough to lift an otherwise dreary season in Minneapolis.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Jeff Teague vs. Russell Westbrook. Westbrook has averaged 25.5 points and 7.7 assists since returning from a right hand injury that sidelined him for most of November. He has been throwing down stupendous dunks with frightening regularity. Teague has put together a resume on par with any point guard from the Eastern Conference. If Teague can play Westbrook to a draw or better, the Hawks will have a great chance to win Friday.
SOMETHING SEEN...
Al Horford flushing out the Raptors' interior defense
SOMETHING HEARD...
"Some coaches here call me 'The Menace.' I kind of like it. I've never had a nickname before, so I'll take 'The Menace'. That's cool."
-- Dennis Schröder, when asked about having a nickname.
IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN, BUT WE HOPE IT DOES...
The Golden State Warriors have the longest winning streak in the NBA this season: 16 games. If the Hawks win out through the Minnesota game, they will tie the Warriors.
The Hawks also have a chance to tie for the longest winning streak in franchise history Wednesday. If they get their 14th consecutive win, they will equal the mark set by the 1992-93 Hawks.
IT MIGHT HAPPEN, BUT WE HOPE IT DOESN'T...
Last year, in his MVP-winning 2013-14 season, Kevin Durant averaged 35.5 points in two games against the Hawks.
INJURY REPORT
Shelvin Mack had to leave the game against the Bulls prematurely with a left calf injury. Talking about the injury before the Pistons game, Mike Budenholzer said, "He'll be out. Probably a minimum of a week."
INTERESTING...
Kent Bazemore has connected on 44.4% of his three-point shots this season, but he been particularly accurate from the corners on a limited number of attempts: (9/13, 72.7%).
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ABSURD STAT
Al Horford, who was named as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday, is shooting 80.5% from the field (33/41 FG) in his last four games. When asked about his midrange success after Monday's win, Al credited conditioning and taking good shots. "I have a lot of opportunities," he added. "If you see out there, I could shoot it a lot more, but I pick my spots. I know when I need to shoot, and I know when I need to give that extra pass."
Story by KL Chouinard@AnaheimAmigos