Atlanta Hawks Host Nets in Playoff Rematch
The Atlanta Hawks head home to the friendly confines of Philips Arena to face the Brooklyn Nets in a rematch of last year’s first-round Eastern Conference Playoff series.
The Atlanta Hawks won an impressive game on the road against the Miami Heat on Tuesday by a score of 98-92. The visitors dictated the tempo of the game, and controlled the contest throughout. Jeff Teague led the way for the Atlanta Hawks with 26 points and 9 dimes, while Paul Millsap and Al Horford added double-doubles. The Atlanta Hawks enter Wednesday’s game with a 4-1 record, riding a 4-game winning streak after an opening night loss to Detroit last week.
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The Brooklyn Nets season has gotten off to a rocky start. At 0-4, the team is coming off a loss at home to the Milwaukee Bucks by a score of 103-96. Brook Lopez led the way for the Nets with 18 points, while former Georgia Tech standout Jarrett Jack added 15 points and former Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson added 14. Though the Nets are 0-4, they faced a brutal early schedule, with games against the Bulls, Spurs, Grizzlies, Bucks, and now the Atlanta Hawks.
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As many fans remember, the Atlanta Hawks bested the Nets in 6 games last postseason in a series that many believed the Hawks should have won easily. Brook Lopez gave the Hawks’ fits with his scoring ability and rebounding, while Jarrett Jack also went off in a couple of games. Though their roster is depleted following the departure of PG Deron Williams to the Dallas Mavericks, the Nets still could present some problems for the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Thabo Sefolosha will most likely return to action on Wednesday against Brooklyn after sitting out against the Heat as he continues to recover from his leg injury. Going with how Mike Budenholzer has handled Sefolosha and Kyle Korver over the past week, the Atlanta Hawks will probably not have Kyle Korver available, as Wednesday’s contest is the second game of a back-to-back. Bud will probably start Dennis Schroder in place of Korver, alongside Jeff Teague in the backcourt. Another option for Bud is to place Tiago Splitter in the starting lineup in order to counter Brook Lopez, playing his big lineup to gain a size advantage.
Next: Atlanta Hawks Impress on Road, Beat Heat 98-92
The Atlanta Hawks swept the regular season series between the two teams last season — but as last year’s playoff series showed us, anything can happen. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM, with Fox Sports Southeast handling the telecast.