Weekly preview

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The Hawks start the week with a 10-game lead over the rest of the Eastern Conference and a magic number of just 3 games for clinching a playoff spot. 

With the Washington Wizards struggling recently, the Hawks' lead in the Southeast Division has ballooned to 13.5 games. Philips Arena might be commissioning a Dominique Wilkins statue and a Southeast Division banner in March.

Oh, and by the way, that statue will be unveiled Thursday and available for the public to see Friday. Enjoy 'Nique Week.

MINI-POWER RANKINGS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK

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

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

Philadelphia (Saturday | 7:30 PM | Wells Fargo Center | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game) 

1. Atlanta: Coming out of the All-Star break, one of the big questions was whether or not the Hawks could improve their rebounding. Since then, they have played opponents to a draw on the glass, grabbing 43.0 rebounds per game and allowing 43.7 to the opposition.

2. Houston: The Rockets feature both the league's leading scorer (James Harden, 27.1 points/game) as well as the offense that attempts the most three-point shots per game (33.8).

3. Cleveland: The Cavaliers have won 18 of their last 22 games, but Houston gets the nod over them for having a better season record and for topping the Cavs Sunday. 

4. Philadelphia: With 9.7 steals per game, the 76ers are in a three-way tie with Houston and Milwaukee for the most thefts per game. The Hawks are not far behind, tallying 8.8 steals per contest. 

DeMarre Carroll vs. LeBron James. The Hawks may throw a few different looks at the four-time MVP, but the most important scheme will be the one that features their best defensive player. 

James, who averaged 24.4 points per game in February, is a likely bet to replace the Hawks' starting five as the Eastern Conference Player of the Month.

The Hawks are getting contributions from new and interesting places. 

In just under 22 minutes played Saturday, John Jenkins gave the Hawks a super-efficient 12 points and 7 rebounds on a night when the team had just nine players dressed. Here, the third-year wingman sinks a three-point shot with just the tiniest blip of an opening to squeeze a shot off.

The Orlando Magic were in town this week, bringing with them new head coach James Borrego, who worked with Mike Budenholzer in San Antonio for seven seasons, first as a video coordinator then together as assistant coaches.

Bob Rathbun, with a voice eager for harmlessly salacious details: "Give us some good stories about Coach Bud."

Borrego, pointing toward the Budenholzer's media availability: "Maybe you should go down there."

Borrego, smirking: "Well ... I learned from him."

Thabo Sefolosha is out with a right calf strain. He is four weeks into an absence that was estimated to last 6 to 8 weeks. Pero Antic, DeMarre Carroll, and Jeff Teague did not dress vs. Miami Saturday, while Al Horford missed the trip for family reasons.

When asked about his approach to analytics, and whether or not analytics played a hand in a particular success or failure this season, Mike Budenholzer responded as follows:

"I think it's just a good thing to add to all of the traditional stuff -- all of the other things -- that people have assumed we do forever. I do believe it's something that can be very helpful."

"I don't think there's any specific decision that I would point to that was because of analytics. We scout and compare. We look at teams strengths and weaknesses. There may be certain nights where we're emphasizing or trying to take certain things away, but it's not anything that is overly complicated."

"I think it has a place and it helps us and we've used it throughout the year, but it's just one thing that we add to our collective decision-making process."

Is there a letdown effect after opponents play the Hawks?

Of the last 21 opponents to play Atlanta, 18 have gone on to lose the following game. (Miami is excluded from this stat because they have not played a subsequent game yet.)

"That's a hell of a stat," Paul Millsap said when asked about it earlier this week. "But I don't know. We're one of the top teams in the league, so guys, teams, tend to get up for those games. I don't know. The Hawk Effect, I guess?"

With a 47-12 record, the Hawks are on pace for the 16th-best NBA record of all-time according to Basketball Reference.com

mvp-candidates-visit-atlanta-this-week

MVP Candidates Visit Atlanta This Week

This week, the Hawks will follow up a tough, physical win over the Milwaukee Bucks with a two-game homestand, followed by a trip to Miami for the second half of a Friday/Saturday back-to-back. 

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

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

Miami (Saturday | 7:30 PM | American Airlines Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game)

1. Atlanta: The Hawks hold a lead of 6.5 games over the Toronto Raptors. As far as the feasibility of catching Atlanta goes, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said, "We want to catch them, but we're not going to go crazy and lose sight of getting better. We're competitors. We want to compete to catch them if at all possible, but they're playing at such a high level."

2. Dallas: As of Sunday night, the Mavericks are sitting in the 6th seed in the Western Conference, but they sit just 0.5 games behind the Houston Rockets, who occupy the 3rd seed.

3. Miami: The Goran and Zoran Dragic Show has arrived in South Beach. The Heat had to send out a pair of future first-round picks, as well as Norris Cole, Justin Hamilton, and Shawne Williams, to acquire the brothers from the Phoenix Suns. Forward Chris Bosh is out for the season due to blood clots in his lungs. Get healthy and well soon, Mr. Bosh.

4. Orlando: Opponents of the Magic are converting 62.1% of their shots within five feet of the rim -- the 29th-best mark in the league. Orlando center Nikola Vucevic almost made the All-Star game because of his scoring (19.8 ppg) and rebounding (11.4 rpg), but he hasn't yet proven that he can anchor a defense.

Dirk Nowitzki vs. Paul Millsap. Looking for a power forward who can stretch the floor with the three-point shot but also get to the line on a regular basis? There are only three power forwards this season who have made 200 trips to the free throw line while making 50 three-pointers: Nowitzki, Millsap and Kevin Love.

This play starts with Kyle Korver drawing two defenders as he curls around a screen. From there, Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll refuse to let a rotating Bucks defense catch up to them before Al Horford finishes it.

"The old me would have shot a floater." -- Mike Scott, smiling, after being asked about his improved ability to make effective passes after catching the ball on pick-and-roll plays.

Thabo Sefolosha is out with a right calf strain. He is three weeks into an absence that was estimated to last 6-8 weeks. 

The unveiling of the Dominique Wilkins statue is less than two weeks away. Click here to revisit some of the highlights of his career and count down the days remaining until the event.

When talking about his approach to keeping players rested and healthy this season, head coach Mike Budenholzer has said in the past that he wishes to be proactive in his approach. I asked him what indicators he was using to guide his those types of decisions.

"A lot of it is just kind of gut feel and just watching and observing our players. I don't know that we've really planned anything out per se (for) these last 28 or 30 games. I think we're around each other so much, and there's a lot of hard work that goes into the practices and the film sessions. We just have a good sense and a good feel. And again, when you're being proactive you just have to almost anticipate it and beat it to the punch. We communicate at a pretty high level with our guys. I think our guys know that we really value them being healthy. (It's) a lot of small things: a little bit of gut and a little bit of observation."

NBA.com/Stats has recently added play-type data to its database. One of those play types is the cut, defined as "an interior play where the finisher catches a pass while moving toward, parallel to or slightly away from the basket."

Of the 63 possessions that ended with a DeMarre Carroll "cut", only one ended up being a turnover. He also made 36 of his 56 shot attempts (64.3%) and scored at a rate of 1.33 points per possession (76th percentile).

Story by KL ChouinardTwitter: @AnaheimAmigos

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Hawks Plug Along Atop Eastern Conference

This week the Hawks play a shortened slate of just two games as the league preps for All-Star Weekend. The Hawks have a number of participants lined up for events Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (see below). Dominique Wilkins, Dennis Schröder, Kyle Korver, Jeff Teague, Al Horford, Paul Millsap, Mike Budenholzer and the rest of the Hawks coaching staff are all headed to New York City. 

Minnesota (Monday | 8:00 PM | Target Center | SportSouth, WZGC-FM)

Boston (Wednesday | 7:30 PM | TD Garden | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game) 

1. Atlanta: The Hawks went 2-2 during their toughest scheduled week of games for the entire season. Their 17-7 road record ties them with Golden State for the best road record in the NBA, and the Hawks will be put to the test for another pair of games this week.

2. Boston: After Al Horford, Celtics center Kelly Olynyk may be the best shooting big man in the Eastern Conference -- and he shoots a lot of threes too. Olynyk has made 36 out of 102 three-point shots (35.5%) for the season

3. Minnesota: After winning three consecutive Western Conference Rookie of the Month Awards, Andrew Wiggins is primed for a fourth. His per-game assist and rebound totals are up to 6.0 and 2.8, respectively, and his plus-minus rating for the month is plus-4.8, even though he is playing over 40 minutes per game. 

Al Horford vs. Nikola Pekovic. In four consecutive games, Horford will have been matched up against Marcin Gortat, Andrew Bogut, Marc Gasol and Nikola Pekovic. That's 27 feet 11 inches and 1060 pounds of large, talented people with whom to contend. Pekovic scored an impressive 29 points in a road win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Friday, Feb. 13  • 9 p.m. BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge | TNT 

Dennis Schröder will ply his trade for an International team of first- and second-year players that also includes Andrew Wiggins and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson will coach the International squad.

Saturday, Feb. 14  • 8:30 p.m. | State Farm All-Star Saturday Night | TNT  Degree Shooting Stars (1st Event) 

Dominique Wilkins will defend his title in the Degree Shooting Stars event. Wilkins and teammates Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat and Swin Cash of the New York Liberty, are the two-time defending champions of the event.

Jeff Teague will try his hand at the Taco Bell Skills Challenge that also features Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Michael Carter-Williams, Brandon Knight, Isaiah Thomas, and John Wall. The eight-player field will compete in a three-round, obstacle-course competition that tests dribbling, passing, agility and shooting skills.

Foot Locker Three-Point Contest (3rd Event) 

Kyle Korver headlines a loaded field that also includes Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Wesley Matthews, J.J. Redick, Klay Thompson, and defending champ Marco Belinelli.

Sunday, Feb. 15  • 8:30 p.m. | NBA All-Star Game | TNT 

In the main event, Paul Millsap, Al Horford, and Jeff Teague will come off the bench for an East squad that will be coached by Mike Budenholzer. 

The Hawks played three consecutive games against teams with winning percentages above 0.600, and the Hawks won two out of three of them. Here was the most uncanny play Wednesday. How did Pero Antic even know where Kyle Korver was lining up?

"We broke down defensively. They had a lot to do with that because of the way they stretch you out." -- Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, on the Hawks' offense and its ability to shoot from all over the floor

Thabo Sefolosha is out with a right calf strain. Jeff Teague appeared to sprain his ankle in the fourth quarter of the game Sunday, but later returned to finish the game.

Nice stat find by Arturo Galletti using Basketball Reference: Friday's Hawks-Warriors game was unprecedented in terms of the quality of records of the two teams.

Over the last 10 Hawks games, Dennis Schröder is averaging 10.3 points and 4.7 assists per game, while making 47.1% of his threes. Those are gaudy totals, especially considering that he has played just 18.9 minutes per game over the same span.

hawks-finish-with-pair-of-road-tilts-before-break

Hawks Finish With Pair of Road Tilts Before Break

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.

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 continue to work on a 7-game homestand that will keep them at Philips Arena for another week. Here's what winning 30 of the last 32 games will do: The Hawks now lead the race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference by 7 games. 

MINI POWER RANKINGS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK

Brooklyn (Wednesday | 8:00 PM | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets) 

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

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

1. Atlanta: During their 16-game winning streak, the Hawks have outscored their opposition by 251 points when Kyle Korver has been on the floor.

2. Portland: LaMarcus Aldridge tore a ligament in his left thumb last week, and was initially slated for surgery and an absence of 6-8 weeks. Saturday, though, Aldridge said he would play through the injury, and he scored a team-high 26 points in a win over the Wizards later that night.

3. Brooklyn: The Hawks have the right to swap 2015 first-round draft picks with the Nets. Brooklyn currently sits in the 9th spot with an 18-26 record. A regular-season win over the Nets is twice as valuable as any other, as it just might be the difference in 'netting' a draft pick from the lottery.

4. Philadelphia: Owners of an 8-36 won-loss record, it has been a long season for the 76ers. One bright spot, though, has been the shooting of Robert Covington. The second-year forward is averaging 12.5 points per game and shooting 39.6% from three.

Paul Millsap vs. LaMarcus Aldridge. On Thursday, Millsap and Aldridge will find out whether or not they have been named as reserves to their respective All-Star teams, and on Friday the pair will face off against one another. It seems quite possible that both will make it. One item to watch: Aldridge prefers to play below-the-rim defense, going for strips and steals while his opponent has the ball low, but that style could pose a challenge with his injured thumb. Millsap played brilliantly in Sunday's win over the Timberwolves: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals.

During a second-half timeout in Sunday's win over the Timberwolves, Steve Holman got a standing ovation at Philips Arena in recognition of being named the 2014 Georgia Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA). Holman hasn't missed a game in 30 years as a broadcaster.

"I try to find Balkan spots around America when I can. In most cities you can find Balkan food. The place that I’ve found that’s most similar to the food I grew up with is in Chicago. It’s called Deta’s. When I go to Chicago, I always go there. I have a lot of friends in Chicago from my country so they take me there."

-- Pero Antic, to The Manual when asked about finding food on the road

If the Hawks beat Brooklyn Wednesday, they will own the longest winning streak in the NBA this season: 17 games. They are currently tied with the Golden State Warriors, who put together a 16-game winning streak earlier this year.

Pero Antic might get left out of All-Star Weekend. The teams for the Rising Stars Challenge of All-Star Weekend are going to be named next week. As a second-year NBA player, Pero Antic is eligible to be chosen. However, with this year's teams being split between the US and International sides, there is a long list of quality international centers in their first and second seasons: Gorgui Dieng (Senegal), Rudy Gobert (France), Kelly Olynyk (Canada), Jusuf Nurkic (Bosnia) and Steven Adams (New Zealand) are all vying along with Pero for a handful of big man spots on a 10-man roster. Antic, though, deserves a spot for smartly and efficiently anchoring a terrific Hawks bench that routinely outplays its opposition.

Shelvin Mack (left calf strain) was inactive Sunday against the Timberwolves. Before the game, Coach Bud said, "I think each day Shelvin is getting a little bit better."

According to the SportsVU player tracking data on NBA.com/Stats, Teague ranks fifth in the league in points scored off drives per 48 minutes with 10.0. He routinely breaks down defenses off the dribble, a skill that greatly enhances the shooters around him.

With 37 wins through Jan. 25, the Hawks are one win from tying their entire win total from the 2013-14 season.

hawks-finish-january-in-search-of-perfect-mark

Hawks Finish January In Search of Perfect Mark

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."

hawks-continue-homestand-with-history-in-sight

Hawks Continue Homestand With History In Sight

After winning three out of four last week, the Atlanta Hawks get to spend this entire week in their own beds.  Only two games are on the schedule, and both are at home.

Details:  7:30 p.m. (ET) | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets

The Los Angeles Lakers make their only visit to Philips Arena early this season.  The Lakers are in unfamiliar territory: 1-9 and seemingly in the midst of a rebuild.  They were dealt a huge blow when first-round pick and bolstering prospect Juliuis Randle broke his leg on opening night, forcing him to miss this entire season.  Steve Nash is also out for the year, so L.A. is relying heavily, some say too heavily, on Kobe Bryant to carry the offensive load.  Bryant has scored, but he's done so at the expense of consuming a large percentage of the team's shots.  It's a great strategy if you're shooting 50 percent, but Bryant is just a shade under 38.  It gets worse for the Lakers on defense, where they're ranked last in the league in efficiency and are allowing 112 points per contest.  Do they have talent?  Absolutely.  Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Lin and Nick Young have all found success in their careers.  The Lakers are hoping they can put it all together soon.

Details:  7:30 p.m. (ET) | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets

Stan Van Gundy said after a recent road win in Oklahoma City that he likes the fight in his team.  The Pistons look much different under Van Gundy, with an offense less focused on isolated post-ups and more focused on floor spacing and movement.  Sure, they still have two beasts down low in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, but Van Gundy is figuring out how to use the other guys to compliment them.  Van Gundy has also tinkered with bringing Greg Monroe off the bench so he can use Josh Smith at the floor and have a more dangerous perimeter attack, though he did start Monroe, Smith and Drummond together on Saturday.  Where the Pistons struggle offensively is on the perimeter.  Though they did add some nice offseason pieces to the bench, there isn't a lot of shooting depth.  Defensively, the Hawks need to be disciplined, force perimeter jump shots and, when possible, double the post to force one of those big bodies to kick it back outside.

DeMarre Carroll vs. Josh Smith.  Both players play a tough, physical style, so this one should be interesting if Carroll is healthy and Smith starts at small forward.

IT PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN, BUT WE HOPE IT DOES...

The Hawks will make 11 straight threes.  Pay it forward, right Cleveland?

IT PROBABLY WILL HAPPEN, BUT WE HOPE IT DOESN'T...

Kobe Bryant will take 50 shots and make them all.  Because that would just be so fitting.

DeMarre Carroll (Strained Groin):  He has missed the past three games and is listed as questionable for Tuesday.

The Hawks have won their first four home games for the first time in five years.

Kyle Korver is shooting 57.7 percent from three-point range this season.  He is the all-time single season leader in that category...at 53%.

Here's where the various sports websites have us in their rankings this week:

hawks-get-some-home-cookin

Hawks Get Some Home Cookin'

The Hawks have four games this week, including a rematch with the Knicks, a visit from former assistant coach Quin Snyder and matchups with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.

Details:  7:30 p.m. (ET) | Madison Square Garden | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game

The Hawks outscored the Knicks 55-35 to erase a 13-point halftime deficit in Saturday's second half.  The rematch comes 48 hours later, this time in New York's house, and Atlanta will need more consistent play if it hopes to win its first road game of the season.  A big reason for the comeback was DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap's ability to limit Carmelo Anthony.  After a 14-point first quarter, the former scoring leader had just six the rest of the way, and the Hawks locked down everyone else to win it.  New York is still learning a new offense under first-year head coach Derek Fisher, so it's expected to take some time.  They're also without point guards Jose Calderon and Pablo Prigioni, as well as big man Andrea Bargnani, which hasn't helped.  Atlanta has the fortune of seemingly catching the Knicks at the right time: early and injured.  Now it's up to them to take advantage.

It only took one season as a head coach for a Mike Budenholzer disciple to get his own head coaching job.  Quin Snyder returns to Atlanta Wednesday, bringing with him a much-improved Jazz team that's off to a respectable start.  Utah's new-look offense features many of the principles Snyder preached in Coach Bud's system: pace and space.  Jazz fans have launded the new-look offense, and it has led to a balanced scoring effort early.  Five guys are averaging double figures, and that doesn't include Trey Burke's 9.7.  Part of the reason for the offensive success has been 46 percent shooting, good for eighth in the league so far.  Unfortunately for them, most of that hot shooting has been inside the arc, and the Hawks will have to take note and force some outside jumpers.  Atlanta has had good success against Utah in recent years, but Snyder will have his guys prepared to face a team he knows very well.

Gone is LeBron James, but the Miami Heat are still right near the top of the East standings early as if nothing has changed.  The biggest reason why?  Chris Bosh.  He's been one of the best players in the early part of the season, averaging better than 23 points and 10 rebounds in seven games.  His all-around game continues to improve, and Erik Spoelstra playing him at center is a nightmare matchup for opposing bigs.  The addition of Loul Deng has helped on both ends, as he's been the team's primary wing defender while averaging 15.7 points on 56 percent shooting offensively (he also looks healthier than he has in a while).  The Hawks can't relax when they see a LeBron-less Heat team Friday night, as these guys can still turn up the defensive pressure as well as anybody, and they're very good in the open court.

Details:  7:30 p.m. (ET) | Quicken Loans Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game

Many have been critical of Cleveland's 2-3 start, but let's not forget that the "Big Three" in Miami got off to a similarly slow start while chemistry was still building before eventually catching fire and winning four straight conference championships.  LeBron James is shooting just 42 percent, Kevin Love is shooting 37 percent and the team is averaging fewer than 18 assists per game.  As the shots begin to fall for the two superstars, the assists should go up as well.  Defending the Cavaliers starts with making things tough for James.  You're not going to stop him, but making him work hard on both ends gives you your best chance to win.  Love is a weapon as well, as he can shoot from anywhere on the floor.  He's also a monster on the glass (11.2 rebounds in five games), so Atlanta's bigs will be challenged.  Offensively, the Hawks just need to continue to do what's been working with ball movement, drives and kicking to shooters.

Al Horford vs. Chris Bosh on Friday.  Two centers who can shoot and run the floor make for a fun matchup.

Carmelo Anthony will score six points in the final three quarters Monday.  A repeat defensive performance should mean another Hawks win.

There will be more nail-biters this week.  Last week had its share of them, and while we hope to be comfortably ahead in all of our games, it just doesn't seem to be our style.

Adreian Payne (Plantar fasciitis):  He's listed as day-to-day.

45 years ago Monday, Lou Hudson scored 57 points as the Hawks beat the Bulls 133-132 in Auburn, Ala.

Dennis Schröder leads the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating (PER). The stat assigns value to player accomplishments (made shot, assist, etc.) and penalized them for mistakes (missed shot, turnover, etc.).