The Atlanta Hawks stretched their unbeaten run to six games with a convincing 107-100 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. Six players scored in double-figures for the Hawks (9-2) who are off to their best start since they were 11-2 in 2009-10. Starring for the Hawks in this victory were big men Paul Millsap and Mike Muscala. Millsap scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Muscala dropped 16 points and hauled in five boards in his first start of the season. The frontcourt duo stepped up big time in the absence of Dwight Howard who missed Wednesday’s game with a left quad contusion.
They will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they lock horns with the Hornets tonight. For the Hawks to accomplish that feat, they will need to continue their excellent play on the offensive end. Atlanta is eighth in the NBA in scoring, averaging a whopping 107.8 points per game this season. The Hawks have shot 50 percent while winning by an average of 10 points during their six-game win streak, and had 29 assists on 35 baskets against Milwaukee.
The Hawks are 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS on the road this season. They are pegged at +4,000to win the 2017 NBA Championship.
The Charlotte Hornets finally snapped their two-game losing skid with a thrilling 115-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. Kemba Walker scored a game-high 30 points for the Hornets who battled back from a 12-point halftime deficit. Walker has been superb for Charlotte this season, averaging a career-best 25.8 points after 10 games. He’s been lights out from beyond the arc, shooting at a high 48 percent clip.
Things are bound to get, tougher, though, for the Hornets as standing in their way in their next game are the red-hot Atlanta Hawks. They have lost four of their last five games against the Hawks. The Hornets, however, can take comfort in the fact that they defeated Atlanta in their last meeting at Spectrum Center. Walker scored 23 points in that 107-84 win, going 4-of-6 from downtown. He will look to replicate that performance against an Atlanta defense that’s allowing just 98.2 points per game this season, sixth-best in the NBA.
Apart from Walker, the Hornets will also need Nicolas Batum to step up his play against the Hawks. He averaged just 9.5 points in four meetings with Atlanta last season. Batum scored 16 points and dished out seven dimes in the win against the Wolves. The French star is averaging 13.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season.
The Hornets are 3-2 SU and ATS at home this season. They are pegged at +6,000to win the 2017 NBA Championship.
