It’s not looking good for the Hawks. They are on a three-game losing streak with the last two being lopsided setbacks at the hands of Miami (108-90) and Orlando (105-86).
The offense hasn’t been there for Atlanta, which is averaging 103.2 points per game this season, but has put up just 86.7 on a poor 38.8 field goal shooting percentage the last three games. Both figures are worst in the league following the same stretch of games.
Paul Millsap, the team’s leading scorer this season with 17.9 PPG, has mustered just 13.3 in the last three outings, while Dennis Schroder’s production has dipped from 17.4 PPG on the season to just 13.0 PPG also in the last three games. The two will have to get out of their mild funk for if the Hawks don’t want to see that losing streak extend to four games tonight. Millsap scored 23 points in a 103-101 loss to Atlanta on Jan. 13. Schroder threw bricks in that game, going 2-for-11 and finished with four points.
Tim Hardaway Jr., meanwhile, is one Hawk who’s been delivering more consistently of late. Hardaway, who scored 23 points off the bench in the earlier matchup with Atlanta and 15 against Orlando, has averaged 18.0 PPG with 2.6 threes in the last five Hawks games.
Atlanta is 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS in its last 10 games against the Celtics.
Isaiah Thomas burned Atlanta with a sick step-back pull-up jumper to win the game for Boston back in January and he’ll be looking to lead the Celtics again versus the Hawks.
Thomas (29.7 PPG) was deadly once again on Sunday, dropping 33 points in a 104-98 road win over Detroit top help stop Boston’s skid at two games. Boston’s offense, however, isn’t that heavily dependent on Thomas with other Celtics contributing significant numbers on offense. Jamison Crowder scored 14 against Detroit while the pair of Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier made 14 and 13 points, respectively, off the bench.
Boston drilled 17 threes in the January game with Atlanta and don’t expect the Celtics to take it easy from deep tonight. They are fourth in the league with 12.7 three-points made per game, while Atlanta is third worst in defending against the long ball with opponents nailing 10.7 per contest against the Hawks.
Boston is 7-0 SU in its last seven games but covered the spread in just two games during that span.
