Hawks week

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The 40-win Hawks face their most challenging week of the season, including three consecutive games against teams with 30 or more wins. Sandwiched in the middle of those three is the long awaited game between the NBA's two top teams.

MINI-POWER RANKINGS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK

New Orleans (Monday | 8:00 PM | Smoothie King Center | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game)

Washington (Wednesday | 7:30 PM | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets) 

Golden State (Friday | 7:30 PM | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets) 

Memphis (Sunday | 6:00 PM | FedExForum | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game) 

1. Atlanta: If the season ended today, the Hawks' winning percentage of 0.833 would be the fifth-best mark in NBA history. The team is on pace for a previously unthinkable 68 wins.

2. Golden State: The Warriors lead the NBA in net rating, outscoring opponents by an astounding 12.6 points per 100 possessions. The Hawks rank second with a net rating of 7.8.

3. Memphis: This game is the trap game for the Hawks, even if the streak ends earlier in the week. Two days after the biggest game of the season, the Hawks hit the road again for a game with the 35-12 Grizz. Memphis, a physical, defensive-minded team, has won 9 of 10 games since acquiring Jeff Green from the Celtics.

4. Washington: On Dec. 29, the Hawks and Wizards were tied for the Southeast Division lead with identical 22-8 records. Since then, the Hawks have built up a 9-game lead and Washington has played 0.500 basketball (9-9).

5. New Orleans: Somehow the bottom team in the mini-rankings has the player who is arguably best player in the NBA. Anthony Davis is leading the NBA in blocks (2.9 per game) for the second consecutive season, while averaging 24.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. The 6'10" power forward missed the Pelicans' most recent game Friday with a left abductor strain after being listed as 'questionable'.

Stephen Curry vs. Jeff Teague. Until this season, the lowest three-point percentage compiled by Steph Curry in a single season had been 42.4%. This season, he's at 39.5%. On the other hand, Curry is playing the best defense of his career and the Warriors have a 37-8 record. 

For his part, Teague keeps reiterating the primacy of winning. "We just want to wiiin," he said recently, delightfully dragging out the vowel sound for emphasis. "I don't think anyone cares (about the stats). As long as we win, that's all that matters. Winning is the whole thing. Points and assists and stuff like that, we really don't care. We just want the 'W'." For the record, if the season ended today, Teague's averages of 16.8 points and 7.5 assists per game would be career highs.

Kent Bazemore stuck with Wes Matthews before the catch and held himself down on the pump fake. Then he smothered the shot off Matthews' face AND collected a reflexive rebound. Perhaps the best part is Coach Budenholzer wasting no time as he urged Bazemore to the other end of the court.

"Yeah. You can thank Kent Bazemore for that. He brought that to us. His energy from the bench, when he gets into a game, he brings a whole different attitude to our team. And we needed that. He livens up the whole locker room."

-- Jeff Teague, when asked about the high enthusiasm level of the players on the Hawks bench

IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN, BUT WE HOPE IT DOES...

If the Hawks win in New Orleans, their 20-game winning streak would tie the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks for the fourth-longest single-season winning streak in NBA history. Only the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (33 games), the 2012-13 Miami Heat (27 games), and the 2007-2008 Houston Rockets (22 games) had longer streaks. 

IT MIGHT HAPPEN, BUT WE HOPE IT DOESN'T...

Grizzlies center Marc Gasol has earned 4 or more assists in 8 of his last 9 games. For a center, he is an extremely gifted passer, and the Hawks will have their hands full trying to deny Gasol in the low post while scrambling to the correct defensive assignments after he passes the ball.

Thabo Sefolosha is expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks as he recovers from a right calf strain. DeMarre Carroll (left Achilles strain) and Shelvin Mack (left calf strain) also missed the games from this past weekend. 

Coach Bud sounded optimistic about DeMarre Saturday, saying, "I think we're hoping it's fairly short term, but we'll continue to evaluate him each day."

Al Horford has a strong case for the Eastern Conference Player of the Month Award: 17.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. Horford shot 58.8% from the field, and the Hawks became the first NBA team to earn 17 or more wins in a month without a loss.

The ten most recent Hawks opponents are 1-9 in games immediately following their loss to the Hawks (excepting the 76ers, who haven't played another game yet). The Hawks aren't just winning. They're leaving a mark.

Story by KL ChouinardTwitter:  @AnaheimAmigos

hawks-face-most-challenging-week-to-date

Hawks Face Most Challenging Week To Date

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. 

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. 

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.

Al Horford flushing out the Raptors' interior defense

"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.

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.

Last year, in his MVP-winning 2013-14 season, Kevin Durant averaged 35.5 points in two games against the Hawks.

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."

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%).

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."

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