Atlanta Hawks Host Thunder to Begin 3-Game Homestand

The Atlanta Hawks welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder to Philips Arena for a Monday night contest after a three-game road trip that saw the team go 1-2.

Monday’s game against Oklahoma City is the start of a 3-game home-stand for the Atlanta Hawks, and Philips Arena provides a welcome sight after a grueling stretch. The Hawks played 4 games in five nights last week, and fatigued manifested itself on Saturday in a blowout loss at San Antonio. The Hawks pulled out an impressive victory on Friday against the Grizzlies in the Grind House, but after a close game in Minnesota two days before, perhaps a good home-stand is just what Atlanta needs right now.

Tiago Splitter missed that last four games due to a hip injury suffered a week and a half ago in Cleveland, and is listed as doubtful for Monday’s game against the Thunder. Kent Bazemore returned from an ankle injury on Friday in Memphis after missing four games himself. He played well in both Memphis and San Antonio, but was relieved from his starting duties on Saturday against the Spurs. Mike Budenholzer continues to tinker with his lineups, so it’s uncertain whether Kent Bazemore or Thabo Sefolosha will get the start for the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder enter Monday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks riding high on a four game winning streak. Their most recent victory came on Friday night at home against the Detroit Pistons. A healthy Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 34 points and 13 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook added 14 points on 5-14 shooting.

The Atlanta Hawks are now 11-8 after beginning the season with an 8-1 record. The Thunder are currently third in the Western Conference; and even though the Hawks are in the midst of a grueling stretch of their schedule, it’s imperative that they dig deep on Monday. Even away from home, the Thunder are dangerous — especially with a healthy Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The Thunder currently lead the NBA in rebounding per game with 47.7 boards per contest, which does not bode well for the Atlanta Hawks, who place 28th in the league. The Thunder’s offense is also one of the best in the league, averaging 109.4 points per game: good for second best in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks middling defense does not help matters, as they are giving up 100.3 points per contest.

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The Atlanta Hawks best advantage in Monday’s game is their frontcourt. Paul Millsap is playing like an All-Star through the first month of the season, averaging almost a double-double. Millsap leads the Hawks in scoring with 18.3 points per game, and in rebounds with 9.5 boards per game. He also leads the Hawks in steals with 2 per game. With Millsap’s and Al Horford‘s ability to stretch the floor and pull Serge Ibaka and Stephen Adams away from the basket, that gives Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder a good chance to get to the rim as well as to get the pick and roll game going.

With the injury to Tiago Splitter, expect to see more of Mike Muscala, who has played an inspired brand of basketball over the past couple of weeks. Mike Budenholzer has given the third-year forward/center more minutes and liberty off the bench, taking away minutes from both Mike Scott and Tiago Splitter. Moose’s ability to stretch the floor also helps the Atlanta Hawks against the Thunder.

Next: Atlanta Hawks: Tough Week Ahead After Loss to Spurs

On Monday, it’s imperative that the Atlanta Hawks make their shots. Against a good rebounding team like Oklahoma City, they will not have many chances to secure offensive boards. Even after a disappointing loss at San Antonio on Saturday, Monday’s game is an exciting early season contest for the Atlanta Hawks, who look to get back into the win column and pull out a victory over one the NBA’s top teams. The Atlanta Hawks and the Thunder tip-off at 8:00 PM, with a half-time and postgame concert by hip-hop artist Jeezy to follow.

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