Atlanta Hawks at Charlotte Hornets Preview: Aiming for .500

The Atlanta Hawks were not the beneficiary of a favorable whistle on Wednesday night, but the team still fought valiantly despite a 2-point loss to the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Now, the team remains on the road on Friday evening, as they face the Charlotte Hornets just a few hours up the road from Philips Arena.

Like Atlanta, the Hornets enter with a sub-.500 mark at 2-3, but Charlotte was on the favorable end of their last decision in a 7-point win over the Miami Heat. The Hornets are led by big man Al Jefferson and perimeter players Lance Stephenson and Kemba Walker, and Charlotte was able to ride their defense (top-10 in the NBA) to a playoff appearance following the 2013-2014 season.

The Hawks haven’t quite found their stride offensively, and that begins with Al Horford, who is rounding into form while averaging just 14 points per game in the first three contests. Still, Atlanta is leading the league in assists with 26 per game, and the offense has been pretty at times under the direction of Mike Budenholzer. Charlotte will provide a tough task at both ends, especially in dealing with the girth of the aforementioned Jefferson, but this is a winnable spot despite the road venue.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ATLBeatBlog) for more Atlanta Hawks information leading up to the game and check back after the final buzzer for a full recap.

Date: November 5, 2014

Tip-Off Time: 8:30 p.m.

TV Channel: SportSouth, NBA League Pass ($)

Radio: 92.9 The Game (Local in Atlanta), Atlanta Hawks Radio Network Affiliates

Live Stream: League Pass Broadband