Celtics, Hawks Collide In Atlanta
The Atlanta Hawks will host the Boston Celtics at State Farm Arena on Thursday.
The Hawks (33-39) remain alive in the race to secure a spot in the Play-In Tournament and control their destiny. Following Wednesday’s action and their 120-106 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta holds a 5.5-game lead over the Brooklyn Nets, so it would take a massive meltdown on the Hawks’ end to see them miss the playoffs. Atlanta has been playing well, too, entering this game on a three-game winning streak and having won four of its last six contests. The Hawks will try to repeat what they did against the Celtics on Monday, overcoming a 30-point deficit to steal a two-point win over Boston at home. On that note, the Hawks own a 19-17 record in front of their fans at State Farm Arena, including three wins in a row in this venue.
The Hawks are listing several absences. Onyeka Okongwu (toe) and Mouhamed Gueye (illness) should be questionable. Jalen Johnson (ankle), AJ Griffin (ankle), Kobe Bufkin (toe), Trae Young (finger) and Saddiq Bey (knee) are out.
The Celtics (57-15) have already clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, meaning the path to the NBA Finals will run through TD Garden. Boston are coming off a disappointing performance, however, wasting a 30-point lead in a loss to the Hawks on Monday. The Celtics, however, have gone 25-12 on the road this season, and they should have enough in them to bounce back here and secure the victory. The Celtics might not be at full strength ahead of this contest, but that shouldn’t be surprising. After all, the Celtics will now prioritize the playoffs, so they’re not going to risk players dealing with physical problems.
Boston is listing Al Horford (toe), Jrue Holiday (shoulder), Xavier Tillman (knee) and Jaden Springer (knee) as questionable for this matchup.
The Hawks (33-39) remain alive in the race to secure a spot in the Play-In Tournament and control their destiny. Following Wednesday’s action and their 120-106 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta holds a 5.5-game lead over the Brooklyn Nets, so it would take a massive meltdown on the Hawks’ end to see them miss the playoffs. Atlanta has been playing well, too, entering this game on a three-game winning streak and having won four of its last six contests. The Hawks will try to repeat what they did against the Celtics on Monday, overcoming a 30-point deficit to steal a two-point win over Boston at home. On that note, the Hawks own a 19-17 record in front of their fans at State Farm Arena, including three wins in a row in this venue.
The Hawks are listing several absences. Onyeka Okongwu (toe) and Mouhamed Gueye (illness) should be questionable. Jalen Johnson (ankle), AJ Griffin (ankle), Kobe Bufkin (toe), Trae Young (finger) and Saddiq Bey (knee) are out.
The Celtics (57-15) have already clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, meaning the path to the NBA Finals will run through TD Garden. Boston are coming off a disappointing performance, however, wasting a 30-point lead in a loss to the Hawks on Monday. The Celtics, however, have gone 25-12 on the road this season, and they should have enough in them to bounce back here and secure the victory. The Celtics might not be at full strength ahead of this contest, but that shouldn’t be surprising. After all, the Celtics will now prioritize the playoffs, so they’re not going to risk players dealing with physical problems.
Boston is listing Al Horford (toe), Jrue Holiday (shoulder), Xavier Tillman (knee) and Jaden Springer (knee) as questionable for this matchup.
Bucks and Pelicans Set for Interconference Showdown
The Milwaukee Bucks take on the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Thursday night.
The Bucks (46-26) are in the midst of a reasonably solid stretch of play, as they've won four of their last six games. However, their most recent time on the floor resulted in a frustrating loss, as they dropped a 128-124 decision in double overtime on Tuesday night to the Los Angeles Lakers. Giannis Antetokounmpo paced the Bucks with a 29-point, 21-rebound, 11-assist triple-double that included three blocks and two steals. Damian Lillard delivered 27 points, eight assists, five rebounds and one steal. Malik Beasley supplied 21 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Bobby Portis posted an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double that included one steal and one block. Khris Middleton recorded 12 points, seven assists, six rebounds and one steal.
The Bucks will list Antetokounmpo (hamstring), Middleton (ankle) and MarJon Beauchamp (back) as probable for Thursday's game. Patrick Beverley (wrist) will carry a questionable tag.
The Pelicans (44-28) are also trending in the right direction of late, recording victories in five of the last seven games. However, their most recent time on the floor culminated in one of those losses, as they dropped a 119-112 decision to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. Zion Williamson paced the Pelicans with 29 points, supplementing them with 10 assists, five rebounds and three steals. CJ McCollum furnished 23 points, six boards and five assists. Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones produced matching 16-point contributions while tallying six rebounds and four assists, respectively
The Pelicans will list Jose Alvarado (hip) as questionable for Thursday's game. Brandon Ingram (knee) and Dyson Daniels (knee) will both remain out.
Thursday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Bucks hold a 1-0 series lead.
The Bucks (46-26) are in the midst of a reasonably solid stretch of play, as they've won four of their last six games. However, their most recent time on the floor resulted in a frustrating loss, as they dropped a 128-124 decision in double overtime on Tuesday night to the Los Angeles Lakers. Giannis Antetokounmpo paced the Bucks with a 29-point, 21-rebound, 11-assist triple-double that included three blocks and two steals. Damian Lillard delivered 27 points, eight assists, five rebounds and one steal. Malik Beasley supplied 21 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Bobby Portis posted an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double that included one steal and one block. Khris Middleton recorded 12 points, seven assists, six rebounds and one steal.
The Bucks will list Antetokounmpo (hamstring), Middleton (ankle) and MarJon Beauchamp (back) as probable for Thursday's game. Patrick Beverley (wrist) will carry a questionable tag.
The Pelicans (44-28) are also trending in the right direction of late, recording victories in five of the last seven games. However, their most recent time on the floor culminated in one of those losses, as they dropped a 119-112 decision to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. Zion Williamson paced the Pelicans with 29 points, supplementing them with 10 assists, five rebounds and three steals. CJ McCollum furnished 23 points, six boards and five assists. Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones produced matching 16-point contributions while tallying six rebounds and four assists, respectively
The Pelicans will list Jose Alvarado (hip) as questionable for Thursday's game. Brandon Ingram (knee) and Dyson Daniels (knee) will both remain out.
Thursday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Bucks hold a 1-0 series lead.