Atlanta Hawks Host Wizards in Big Rivalry Game

The Atlanta Hawks have now won six straight games and are in first place in the Eastern Conference. Can they keep the streak alive against a big division rival in the Washington Wizards?

After beating the New Orleans Pelicans 121-115 at the Smoothie King Center last night, the Atlanta Hawks will have to come home to play a touch back-to-back against Southeast Division rival Washington.

The Wizards are also coming to Atlanta after playing a Friday night game, only Washington let the Boston Celtics score 40 points on them in the first quarter and fell 118 to 98 in Boston. Washington sits at 3-2 in the first part of the 2015-16 NBA Season.

-= Related: Atlanta Hawks: Early Contender Despite Preseason Predictions =-

Atlanta has played a ton of games already in the first two weeks. They are the only team to play seven games already and will have played eight by the end of today. No other team has played more than six games, so will fatigue be a factor in this game?

More from ATL All Day

• Atlanta Braves: Felix Has Already Shown Enough to Win a Rotation Spot
• Atlanta Braves Implode Late To Phillies, Cole Hamels Remains Sidelined
• Kyle Wright Shines As Folty Struggles In Atlanta Braves Loss To Red Sox
• Atlanta Hawks Sweep Back-to-Back Games Over Weekend
• Atlanta Braves: Grapefruit League Play Check Up

Potentially, but Atlanta did rest Thabo Sefolosha last night, as he and Kyle Korver won’t play in back-to-backs until both are back to 100 percent from their season-ending ankle injuries the year before.

Washington may have an interesting advantage after getting blown out by the Celtics at The Garden last night. The Wizards probably didn’t have to exert themselves as much as the Atlanta Hawks had to in their high-scoring affair with the Pelicans down in NOLA.

Besides that Big Boi will perform at some juncture with tonight’s game, what is intriguing about this game with the Washington Wizards is that this is the first time since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals that these two rivals have met in Philips Arena.

That pivotal Game 5 helped launch the Atlanta Hawks into their first ever trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Washington still certainly has a bad taste in their mouth. Had they’ve had PG John Wall available for the entirety of the playoff series, then perhaps the Wizards would have had a say in LeBron’s run to this NBA Finals in 2015.

While Kyle Korver was the man in last night’s game versus the New Orleans Pelicans, shooting a perfect 8-8 from the field for 22 points, I think that for Atlanta to win and move to 7-1 and keep the winning streak alive, Dennis Schroder will need to have a big game.

More from Atlanta Hawks

• Atlanta Hawks Sweep Back-to-Back Games Over Weekend
• Atlanta Hawks Look to Continue Momentum Tonight Against Portland
• Joel Embiid Leads Sixers Over Hawks On Monday Night
• Atlanta Hawks: John Collins Playing His Best Basketball Of Season
• Atlanta Hawks Win Second Straight Against the Dallas Mavericks

The backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal are as good as what any team has in the NBA. Wall is an All-Star and Beal could likely become one in 2015-16. Though Jeff Teague will need to play well, I think that the extra boost Dennis Schroder gives the Atlanta Hawks on offense might stand as a little much for the Wiz to handle. Schroder could have an 18-point, 7-assist type of night against the Wiz.

Expect this game to have a playoff feel to it. Though it is WAY too early in the season to feel that way about a regular season game, there is bad blood between the Southeast Division rivals and both seem like locks to make the 2016 Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Next: Atlanta Hawks Survive Pelicans' Rally, Win 121-115 in NOLA

I see this game coming down to the wire and the team that shoots better from the line and from the field down the stretch should emerge victorious. While I hope it’s Atlanta, Washington is a talented team that would love to take the first punch in this divisional rivalry this year. Here’s to getting to 7-1 and keeping the winning streak alive. Let’s Go Hawks!