ATLANTA vs PHOENIX
When: 3/30/2021 10:00 PM
Where: Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE: -220
PREDICTION: Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns

Oddsmakers currently have Phoenix listed as 5.5 point favorites versus Atlanta while the game’s total is sitting at 222.5.

The Phoenix Suns return from a successful road trip to open a three-game homestand that begins Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks.

Phoenix went 3-1 on the trip, which concluded Sunday with a 101-97 overtime win over the Charlotte Hornets. The Hawks are 2-3 on their current eight-game road trip after Sunday’s 126-102 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

This will be the first meeting between the two clubs this season, with a return match scheduled for May 5 in Atlanta. They split two games during the 2019-20 season, each winning on their home court.

Phoenix forward Devin Booker scored 35 points against Charlotte, including four 3-pointers that lifted him to No. 3 in franchise history. He has 753 treys, passing Leandro Barbosa (751) and trailing only Steve Nash (1,051) and Dan Majerle (800). Booker leads the team in scoring at 25.1 points.

Booker has a unique connection to one of the Hawks. His father, Melvin Booker, played for Italy’s Olimpia Milano in 2007-08 and was teammates with Atlanta’s Danilo Gallinari. The young Booker, then 12, sometimes played one-on-one against Gallinari.

Deandre Ayton has been hot over the past five games, during which he’s averaged 19.4 points – his season average is 14.8 – with 11.2 rebounds. His streak of making at least two-thirds of his field-goal attempts ended at four games Sunday when made 6 of 11 shots from the floor.

Mikal Bridges had the key defensive stop against the Hornets with 20.4 seconds left in overtime when he successfully contested Devonte’ Graham’s 3-pointer to protect a two-point Phoenix lead.

“A lot of my game is to play defense,” Bridges said. “I just went out and got a stop.”

Suns coach Monty Williams said, “Defensively, his contests are some of the best in the league at his position after a screen. He has a knack for making plays.”

The Hawks were out of sorts against the Nuggets, who were revitalized by the acquisition of three new players at the trade deadline. Atlanta lost its composure a few times early when the team failed to get the benefit of a call.

“Early in the game we got distracted by that and we didn’t make adjustments appropriately and they pretty much controlled the game from start to finish,” Atlanta coach Nate McMillan said.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” Atlanta’s Trae Young said. “It’s disappointing losing the way we did.”

The team was thin again Sunday with the absence of De’Andre Hunter, who missed his second straight game with right knee soreness. The team is taking a cautious approach with Hunter since he returned from missing 23 games following surgery on his right knee. He returned to play in two games on the current road trip, but swelling in the knee prompted McMillan to rest him; his availability for Tuesday is uncertain.

“We’re trying to get that (soreness) removed before he gets on the floor again,” McMillan said Sunday. “He hasn’t done anything for the last three days.”

The Hawks will be a bit deeper on Tuesday when veteran guard Lou Williams joins the team. He was acquired at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Rajon Rondo. Williams, who averaged 12.1 points in 42 games for the Clippers this season, grew up in the Atlanta area and played for the Hawks from 2012 to 2014.

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ATLANTA vs DALLAS
When: 2/10/2021 7:30 PM
Where: America Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: 7:30 PM
LINE: -3.5
PREDICTION: DALLAS , ATLANTA

Oddsmakers currently have Dallas Mavericks listed as -3.5 point favorites versus Atlanta Hawks, while the game’s total is sitting at 233.5.

The Mavericks have gone 4-7 at home. Dallas averages 43 rebounds per game and is 4-13 when outrebounded by opponents.

“It helps bring back a little bit of the normalcy,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said regarding the return of 1,500 spectators to the venue.

The Hawks are 5-5 on the road. Atlanta is 8-3 in games decided by 10 or more points.

“I don’t know if you’re just going to replace De’Andre,” Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said. “You just have to have other guys step up, and that’s what we’re looking for. … It definitely doesn’t sound like a season-ending injury. I’m sure it’s going to take some time for rehab and from a strength and conditioning standpoint, but all signs so far are he’s going to be back — just don’t know exactly when.”

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Mavericks won 122-116 in the last matchup on Feb. 3. Doncic led Dallas with 27 points, and John Collins led Atlanta with 35 points.

TOP PERFORMERS:

Doncic leads the Mavericks with 9.3 assists and scores 27.8 points per game. Tim Hardaway Jr. is averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers and 16.8 points over the last 10 games for Dallas.

Trae Young leads the Hawks averaging 9.2 assists while scoring 26.7 points per game. Collins is averaging 20.7 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 53.0% over the last 10 games for Atlanta.

LAST 10 GAMES:

Mavericks: 3-7, averaging 113.8 points, 40.7 rebounds, 23.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.3 points on 49.5% shooting.

Hawks: 5-5, averaging 114.4 points, 44.9 rebounds, 24.2 assists, 6.1 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.5 points on 46.2% shooting.

INJURIES:

Mavericks: None listed.

Hawks: De’Andre Hunter: out (right knee), Kris Dunn: out (right ankle), Bogdan Bogdanovic: out (knee).

BOTTOM LINE: Luka Doncic leads Dallas into a matchup with Atlanta. He ranks sixth in the NBA scoring 27.8 points per game.

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UTAH vs ATLANTA
When: 2/4/2021 7:35 PM
Where:

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: 5.5
PREDICTION: ATLANTA , UTAH

Oddsmakers currently have the ATLANTA listed as 5.5 point favorites versus the UTAH, while the game’s total is sitting at 222.5.

The red-hot Utah Jazz, winners of 12 of their past 13 games, begin a three-game road trip on Thursday against the suddenly struggling Atlanta Hawks.

The recent success propelled the Jazz into a share of first place in the NBA’s Western Conference with the best winning percentage in the league.

The Hawks have lost two straight games and saw their record dip below .500 following a 122-116 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

Atlanta will be playing its fourth back-to-back this season; the Hawks have two splits and were swept once. The Hawks are hopeful of getting second-leading scorer De’Andre Hunter back Thursday after he missed two games due to right knee discomfort.

The Hawks struggled Wednesday when the Mavericks aggressively double-teamed point guard Trae Young for most of the game. Young didn’t score his first basket until five minutes remained in the first half, and he was limited to 21 points. He only shot three free throws, limiting a key part of his game.

Atlanta also committed 16 turnovers and continue to rank near the bottom of the league at 14.8 per game.

“We’re turning the ball over in bunches,” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said. “Our turnovers are mounting and they’re costly. We’ve got to be able to execute when the other team takes us out of our action … execute better against the schemes teams are throwing against us.”

Hawks center Clint Capela continues to rebound at a torrid pace. He has pulled down 10-plus rebounds in 17 straight games, the longest streak in the NBA this season and the longest by an Atlanta player since Dwight Howard’s 19-game run in 2017. Capela, who averages 13.6 points and 14.3 rebounds, and will be matched against Utah’s Rudy Gobert, who averages 13.3 points and 13.4 rebounds.

Utah recovered from a Sunday loss at Denver to earn a 117-105 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. The Jazz nearly blew a 28-point lead, watching the advantage dwindle to four points with 2:06 left before answering with back-to-back 3-pointers from Bojan Bogdanovic.

“Sometimes when you build a big lead like that, the whole narrative becomes, ‘What happened?’ because you didn’t win by 30,” Utah coach Quin Snyder said. “These are NBA teams. They’re good teams. There’s going to be runs. The big thing for us is to make that hard.”

Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points against the Pistons. It was the first time he scored 20-plus since Jan. 23, a four-game stretch that saw him miss two contests because of concussion protocol. Mitchell averages a team-leading 23.3 points and has averaged 23.7 in six career games against the Hawks.

Utah’s Joe Ingles, who slid into the starting lineup for the two games Mitchell missed, learned Wednesday he had been named to the Australian Olympics team for the fourth time. Ingles, in his seventh NBA season, averages 10.5 points and 4.2 assists.

This will be the second meeting between the two clubs. Utah won the first contest 116-92 in Salt Lake City on Jan. 15. Young scored a season-low four points in that game.

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DALLAS vs ATLANTA
When: 2/3/2021 7:30 PM
Where:

TV: 7:30 PM
LINE: 1.5
PREDICTION: ATLANTA , DALLAS

Oddsmakers currently have the ATLANTA listed as 1.5 point favorites versus the DALLAS, while the game’s total is sitting at 222.5.

The Dallas Mavericks will attempt to end a frustrating six-game losing streak on Wednesday night when they visit the Atlanta Hawks.

The Mavericks are coming off a 109-108 loss to Phoenix on Monday, a game decided by Devin Booker’s 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left.

The Hawks, who have won five of their last eight games, went toe-to-toe with the world champion Los Angeles Lakers on Monday before faltering in the final two minutes and losing 107-99.

Dallas has its full complement of players on the roster again after the return of Maxi Kleber, who had missed 11 games in health and safety protocols. He produced two points and six rebounds in 18 minutes on Monday. Kleber and Kristaps Porzingis were both in the starting lineup for the first time this season, as the Mavs used their 12th different starting combination this season.

It is uncertain whether Porzingis will be available for the Atlanta game as he continues to work his way back from an October knee surgery. He was withheld from the lineup Saturday and returned to play 34 minutes on Monday, when he tallied 19 points and 10 rebounds.

“Let me be clear, he wants to play in all of these games,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. “It really bothers him.”

Josh Richardson scored a season-high 24 points against the Suns on Monday. It was his first time in double figures since Jan. 7, before he missed nine games due to health and safety protocols.

The Hawks were missing No. 2 scorer De’Andre Hunter, who was out after having a non-surgical procedure on his right knee on Sunday. He was replaced in the starting five by Cam Reddish, who played a solid defensive game against LeBron James. Atlanta is also missing reserve center Onyeka Okongwu with left Achilles soreness.

Although the Hawks lost to the Lakers, they continue to hold their own against the league’s top teams, an indication of a potential breakthrough. Atlanta is sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. But the Atlanta players don’t want to think in terms of a moral victory.

“Just me as a competitor, if you lose, you lose,” Trae Young said. “Obviously, I know who we’re going up against and I felt like we had a chance to win that game.”

As usual, the meeting between the two teams will be another opportunity to compare Young with Dallas’ Luka Doncic. The Hawks originally drafted Doncic with the third overall pick in the 2018 draft, but immediately traded him away for Young, the No. 5 pick, and a first-round pick for 2019. Doncic and Young were both voted as starters for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.

Doncic is averaging 27.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 9.4 assists. In two career games against the Hawks, Doncic has averaged 22.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Young is averaging 26.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 9.0 assists. In four career games against the Mavericks, Young has averaged 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists.

Atlanta has won 11 of the last 13 meetings in the series against Dallas. They split the two games last season, with each team winning on their home court.

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LA LAKERS vs ATLANTA
When: 2/1/2021 7:30 PM
Where:

TV: 7:30 PM
LINE: 6
PREDICTION: ATLANTA , LA LAKERS

Oddsmakers currently have the ATLANTA listed as 6 point favorites versus the LA LAKERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 218.5.

The Los Angeles Lakers should be at full strength when they complete their seven-game road trip with a stop in Atlanta on Monday, but the Hawks will be without a key starter.

Los Angeles center Anthony Davis returned after missing one game with a right quad contusion to log 27 points and 14 rebounds on Saturday and help the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 96-95 and end a two-game losing streak.

But Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter, the team’s second-leading scorer (17.2 points), will miss this game and likely the three other contests the Hawks have this week with an injured knee. He left the Washington game on Friday midway in the second quarter with right knee discomfort and an MRI revealed “articular wear and tear.” He underwent an undisclosed non-surgical procedure and will be re-evaluated next week.

Davis averages 22.2 points and 9.1 rebounds and combines with LeBron James (25.2, 7.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists) to create a powerful one-two punch. James has been dealing with a sprained left ankle, but he showed little signs of trouble when he posted 21 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in 37 minutes on Saturday. The Lakers are 4-2 on their road trip.

“For me, personally, it’s getting back in attack mode,” Davis said. “Being aggressive. Crashing the offensive glass. Being in the paint. All those types of things.”

Lakers coach Frank Vogel said: “(Davis is) getting into that mode right now. He’s starting to pick it up. The injury set him back a little bit, but we want him to be assertive. And when he’s assertive on both sides of the ball, we’re very difficult to beat.”

Both players have a history of success against Atlanta. In 57 career games against the Hawks, James is averaging 27.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists.

In 14 career games against Atlanta, Davis is averaging 19.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.

Atlanta is coming off a 116-100 road win against the Washington Wizards, as Trae Young continued his torrid scoring with a 41-point performance. The Hawks have won five of their last seven games.

Young is averaging 37.6 points over the last five games, scoring 38 or more in four of those contests. He has raised his season average to 27 points. His shooting percentage has risen, too, as Young has made 48.6 percent (54 of 111) of his attempts and 53.6 percent of 3s (22 of 41) during that stretch; he’s hitting 42 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent of 3s this season.

Young drilled his 400th career three pointer on Friday, making him the fastest player in NBA history to reach that career total, needing just 159 games.

On Friday, Young scored 10 straight points for the Hawks after the Wizards had cut the lead to 10 and helped re-establish the advantage back to 16 points.

“Thankful for Trae, his composure and his ability to finish the game,” Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said. “As ugly as the game was, as wild as the game was, we got the win and Trae really closed us out down the stretch when we needed it. He is in attack mode every time he has the basketball.”

The series has been dominated by the Lakers, who lead it 82-49 since the Hawks moved to Atlanta. The Lakers won both games last year and have won seven of the last eight meetings.

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ATLANTA vs MILWAUKEE
When: 1/24/2021 8:00 PM
Where:

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: -9
PREDICTION: MILWAUKEE , ATLANTA

Oddsmakers currently have the MILWAUKEE listed as -9 point favorites versus the ATLANTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 230.

The Atlanta Hawks have won three straight games against teams with poor records. Now they get to test their confidence against a contender when they travel to Milwaukee for a game against the Bucks on Sunday.

Atlanta’s surge includes two wins against Minnesota and one against Detroit, a pair of three-win teams who are last in their respective conferences. The Hawks have pushed their record over .500, lead the Southeast Division and are sixth in the Eastern Conference.

But Milwaukee is a veteran team — its starting lineup averages nine years of experience — and the Bucks are tied for second place in the Eastern Conference, even though they’ve lost two in a row.

Milwaukee has won four straight games against Atlanta and swept last season’s series 3-0. The last meeting came on Dec. 27, 2019, when the Bucks won 112-86, despite playing without starters Giannis Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe.

Atlanta defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-98 on Friday, as Trae Young scored 43 and Clint Capela had his first career triple-double.

Young has emerged from a mini-shooting slump — 50 points over a three-game stretch — and has scored 81 points over the past two games, upping his average to 25.3 points. Young matched his career high with eight 3-pointers against Minnesota.

“I’ve worked too hard to let a couple games of me not shooting well affect me,” Young said.

Capela has become a force for the Hawks. He had 13 points, 19 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocked shots on Friday and is averaging 14.2 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

“Clint is turning himself into a different force defensively and on the glass,” Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said. “To back up what he did the other night (27 points, 26 rebounds vs. Detroit) with what he did (Friday), with the 10 blocks and the triple-double is amazing.”

Asked if he’d ever had a triple-double, Capela said, “Yeah, NBA 2K.”

The Hawks were also helped by the return of starters De’Andre Hunter (16.3 points) and Cam Reddish (12.4 points), as well as reserve Danilo Gallinari, from injury. All three were in double figures against Minnesota.

Milwaukee had its game against Washington postponed on Friday night due to continuing COVID issues within the Wizards. The Bucks are coming off a 113-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, a game that coach Mike Budenholzer said will help his team in the long run.

“You learn a ton when you play the good teams,” Budenholzer said. “There were stretches (against the Lakers) when we were really good on both ends, but we had a bad stretch where, on both ends of the court, we were not good. We didn’t close well and they made the plays. We’ve got to do a better job making those shots tougher.”

Antetokounmpo leads the Bucks with 27 points and 10.3 rebounds; he had 25 points and 12 rebounds against the Lakers. In 22 career games against Atlanta, he has averaged 20.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Khris Middleton averages 21.9 points for a Milwaukee club that ranks third in the league with 119.5 points per game. Jrue Holiday averages 16.1 and has scored 22 points in back-to-back games.

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MINNESOTA vs ATLANTA
When: 1/18/2021 2:30 PM
Where:

TV: 2:30 PM
LINE: -8
PREDICTION: ATLANTA , MINNESOTA

Oddsmakers currently have the ATLANTA listed as -8 point favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 228.5.

The Atlanta Hawks and Minnesota Timberwolves could both use a win. They could also use a clean bill of health before they meet in Atlanta on Monday afternoon.

The Hawks have lost two straight and six of their last seven games. Atlanta had its game at Phoenix postponed on Jan. 11 because of COVID-19 concerns with the Suns.

The Timberwolves have lost eight of their last nine. Of more concern is the lack of players because of COVID. Minnesota had its game against Memphis postponed on Friday because it could not field the league-required eight players for the game due to contact tracing within the organization.

Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging 22.0 points and 12.5 rebounds, announced he had tested positive on Friday. The Timberwolves will also be without Juan Hernangomez, who has entered the 10-day isolation period, and could be without Ricky Rubio.

“It’s just a weird thing because when a guy gets it, some people are mad or they’re angry at the person,” said Minnesota’s Ed Davis. “But they could have been doing all the right things. You’ve got some people being irresponsible. It’s just one of those things if someone gets it, just try to protect yourself and protect your family as much as possible. But, like I said, sometimes you just can’t avoid it. It just happens.”

The Hawks had their game with Phoenix postponed because of contact tracing issues with the Suns. Atlanta had a member of its traveling staff test positive, but none of the players or coaches.

“We have to be comfortable in an uncomfortable year and setting,” Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said. “This is all a part of it. Nothing will be new to us, I don’t think. I think it may be an adjustment, but I think we’re expecting everything that is going to come our way and has come our way.”

Atlanta’s personnel problems are injury-related.

Atlanta played without Cam Reddish in Saturday’s 112-106 loss to Portland, the team’s final stop on a scheduled three-game West Coast road trip. Reddish had a left knee contusion. He scored 20 points on Friday at Utah and has topped 20 points in two of his last three games.

The absence of Reddish stressed the bench, which is without Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari because of injuries and with Rajon Rondo and Tony Snell playing limited minutes.

Atlanta’s Trae Young played through some back tightness on Saturday and had 26 points and 11 assists in 39 minutes.

The Hawks have gotten stellar play from center Clint Capela, who had a season-high 25 points and 15 rebounds on Saturday. It was his third straight double-double and sixth of the season. He has nine straight games with at least 10 rebounds.

It will be a homecoming for Minnesota’s Josh Okogie, who grew up in the Atlanta suburbs and played two seasons at Georgia Tech. Okogie averages 6.6 points.

Atlanta and Minnesota split two games last year, each winning on the road. The Timberwolves have won three of the last five meetings in Atlanta after losing 13 straight as visitors dating back to 2002.

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CLEVELAND vs ATLANTA
When: 1/2/2021 7:35 PM
Where:

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: -6.5
PREDICTION: ATLANTA , CLEVELAND

Oddsmakers currently have the ATLANTA listed as -6.5 point favorites versus the CLEVELAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 233.

The Hawks must find a way to slow Andre Drummond on Saturday when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit Atlanta.

Drummond has registered double-doubles in each of Cleveland’s first five games, tying the franchise record for the start of a campaign. He had 11 points and 13 rebounds Thursday in the Cavaliers’ 119-99 road loss to the Indiana Pacers to join Kevin Love (2019-20), Brad Daugherty (1991-92) and Mark Price (1988-89) with five season-opening double-doubles.

Drummond has a history of success against Atlanta. In 28 games against the Hawks, he is averaging 16.5 points and 14.9 rebounds. For the season, Drummond is averaging 18 points and a league-leading 14.8 rebounds.

The Cavaliers swept both games with Atlanta last season, winning 121-118 and 127-105, both contests in Cleveland.

Atlanta’s Trae Young totaled 57 points and 23 assists in those two games. In five career matchups with Cleveland, Young is averaging 27.4 points and 9.4 assists.

Young leads the Hawks with an average of 30.6 points per game this season. He was held to a season-low 21 points Friday in Atlanta’s 114-96 win over the Brooklyn Nets in New York. It was the first time this season he scored fewer than 29 points. Young was playing with right calf soreness but still logged 32 minutes.

The Hawks gained a split in the two-game series at Brooklyn, earning a bit of satisfaction after a 145-141 loss on Wednesday that ended Atlanta’s three-game, season-opening win streak. The Hawks were able to put the second game away, unlike the previous meeting, when they frittered away a late opportunity.

“This is what finishing is all about,” Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said. “Execution on both sides of the basketball.”

De’Andre Hunter scored 23 in the second game against the Nets, his season high. John Collins had 20 points Friday after scoring 30 on Wednesday, and he averaged nine rebounds in the two games.

Atlanta continues to juggle the lineup depending on player availability. Veteran Rajon Rondo did not play Friday because of left knee soreness, and Danilo Gallinari was out because of a right ankle injury that could cost him a few games.

Cleveland is set to play the second game of a six-game road trip. In the trek’s opener at Indiana, the Cavaliers were victimized by a passive approach to defense in the second half, which was a disappointment to coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

“Things are easy when they’re good,” he said. “Things become more difficult when it’s hard. That was the message to our guys. We have to do things decisively. You just can’t be hesitant.”

One of Cleveland’s consistent forces has been Collin Sexton, who scored 28 against the Pacers and has put up 20-plus points in 10 straight games dating to last season. JaVale McGee had 13 rebounds in 14 minutes on Thursday and became the first NBA player in 14 years to pull down 13-plus rebounds in 14 minutes or fewer.

The Cavaliers have lost two in a row since starting the season 3-0 for the first time since 2016-17, when they won their first six games.

Cleveland’s Kevin Porter Jr. will miss the game for ongoing personal reasons and Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) and Isaac Okoro (foot) are listed as out. Kevin Love (right calf strain) will miss at least three weeks.

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ATLANTA vs BROOKLYN
When: 1/1/2021 7:30 PM
Where:

TV: 7:30 PM
LINE: -6
PREDICTION: BROOKLYN , ATLANTA

Oddsmakers currently have the BROOKLYN listed as -6 point favorites versus the ATLANTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 246.

It may be difficult to achieve what the offenses of the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets showcased Wednesday.

And coaches Lloyd Pierce and Steve Nash are probably hoping to avoid seeing their defenses give up over 140 points again.

But two nights after one of the highest-scoring NBA games in recent seasons, the teams get together again when the Hawks visit the Nets on Friday night.

Both teams enter their second meeting among the highest-scoring teams in the league after Brooklyn emerged with a 145-141 win Wednesday. Pierce’s Hawks are averaging 128.8 points per game while Brooklyn is averaging 121.6 five games into Nash’s tenure.

The teams combined for 286 points, well behind the all-time record of 370 combined points set in Detroit’s 186-184 win at Denver on Dec. 13, 1983. It also was the latest high-scoring game between the teams after Atlanta scored 141 on Brooklyn in a 23-point home win Feb. 28. Brooklyn also got 144 on the Hawks in a 17-point win on Dec. 16, 2018.

On Wednesday, the Nets entered the game as the league’s top defense after not allowing more than 116 points in the first four games. They allowed a 41-point first quarter, 18 3-pointers and allowed the Hawks to shoot 47.5 percent.

“We came in No. 1 defensively,” Nash said after quipping he needed a beer. “That went out the window. They have a ton of shooters playing with confidence. It was a new challenge. We have to get better at that end of the floor.”

The difference came down to the fourth quarter when the Nets saw Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving combine for 33 of their 43 points. Durant flirted with a triple-double by totaling 33 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists while Irving scored 17 of his 25 in the fourth after missing 13 of his first 16 shots.

The duo has scored at least 20 points in the four games they have played and enter Friday among the NBA’s scoring leaders by each averaging 28.3 points.

“Their names speak for themselves,” Brooklyn center Jarrett Allen said. “The names speak for themselves. When it gets to crunch time, we know where the ball needs to go and they proved why.”

The Hawks are hoping the fourth quarter goes differently this time after scoring their most points in regulation in team history and getting 30 points apiece from Trae Young and John Collins. It occurred after the Hawks allowed an average of 112 points in their first three wins.

Ultimately those performances were done in by Atlanta allowing Brooklyn to 64 percent in the fourth and an offense that was unable to keep pace by shooting 42 percent when Young and Collins combined for 18 of their 37 points.

“We know we can beat this team,” said Pierce, who was a college teammate of Nash at Santa Clara.

“We’ve got to learn to execute. We’ve got to learn to finish down the stretch, we’ve got to put together a defensive fourth quarter. This is what finishing is about execution on both sides of the basketball.”

Atlanta’s fourth-quarter fade denied the Hawks their first 4-0 start since opening 2010-11 with six straight wins and dropped them to 2-13 in the past 15 meetings with Brooklyn.

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ATLANTA vs BROOKLYN
When: 12/30/2020 7:35 PM
Where:

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: -6.5
PREDICTION: BROOKLYN , ATLANTA

Oddsmakers currently have the BROOKLYN listed as -6.5 point favorites versus the ATLANTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 240.5.

The Atlanta Hawks revamped their roster with the idea of giving star Trae Young more support and winning more consistently.

Although the Hawks have not been at full health, their offense is humming and they’ll attempt to improve to 4-0 Wednesday night when they visit the Brooklyn Nets for the first of two consecutive games.

The Hawks and Nets also will meet Friday.

Atlanta missed the playoffs for the third straight season when it finished 20-47 while Young increased his scoring average from his rookie season from 19.1 points to 29.6. When free agency began, the Hawks were among the more aggressive teams, adding Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rajon Rondo, and Danilo Gallinari to join Young and Clint Capela, who was acquired from Houston at last season’s trade deadline.

The Hawks have not been complete yet because Rondo and Capela did not make their debuts until Monday’s 128-120 win over Detroit, and Gallinari (left foot contusion) played 24 minutes in the season opener last Wednesday before sitting for the next two contests.

Even without full health, the Hawks are off their first 3-0 start since 2016-17 and seeking their first 4-0 start since starting 2010-11 with six straight wins. They’re averaging 124.7 points, shooting 48.2 percent and 41.6 percent from 3-point range.

Most of the offense is being supplied by Young, who is averaging 34 points on 53.1 percent shooting and 42.1 percent from 3-point range. He scored 29 points Monday when Atlanta shot 48.8 percent and hit 20 3-pointers

“Being 3-0 is great for us and for me it’s all about taking it one game at a time,” Young said. “We’re going up to Brooklyn to play a really good team and we need to bring the same energy and effort. I’m super excited about this team. Just need to get everyone healthy and it’ll be fun.”

The Nets opened the season impressively by getting big games from stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in nationally televised blowout wins over Golden State and Boston.

Brooklyn has followed up those wins with a two-point loss at Charlotte on Sunday followed by a 116-111 overtime loss at home to Memphis on Monday.

Brooklyn played Monday after learning Spencer Dinwiddie would be lost for the season due to a knee injury. The Nets also rested Durant and Irving for the first time this season after the duo played 95 minutes apiece in the first three games.

Both are expected to play Wednesday and will attempt to get at least 20 points for the fourth straight game. Irving is averaging 29.3 points on 61.1 percent shooting while Durant is averaging 26.7 points on 53.2 percent shooting.

Without the duo out on Monday, Caris LeVert led the Nets with 28 points and 11 assists, although he missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer just before regulation ended.

“Obviously, we’re so early in the season, but again you definitely don’t want to drop games, especially like this, regardless of being short-handed whatever it is,” Brooklyn forward Joe Harris said. “We’re still trying to play the right way, we’re still trying to take steps in the right direction. And overall, the compete level was pretty high. We didn’t shoot particularly well. We haven’t particularly shot well the last couple of games, but I thought we competed better than we did against Charlotte.”

The Nets took three of four meetings last season from Atlanta and are 12-2 in the past 14 meetings. Young scored 47 in his only visit to Brooklyn when the Nets posted a 122-112 win on Dec. 21, 2019.

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