Could the 115-105 loss on Monday to the Los Angeles Clippers be a sign that the Atlanta Hawks have hit more than just a speed bump?
Based on the numbers produced by Atlanta’s starting five that evening, there appears to be no cause for panic yet as all five starters finished in double-digit scoring. Kent Bazemore led the team with 25 points to tie his season high; Millsap had a solid line of 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists; and Dwight Howard finished with a 16-12 double-double.
However, the team’s entire bench made just five of 15 shot attempts for 13 measly points. Heck, the Clippers’ notorious sixth man, Jamal Crawford, tallied 19 points in that game by himself. In turn, Atlanta shot just 42 percent from the field and 9-of-29 from three-point range.
All things considered, though, we’re still inclined to consider Monday’s contest as an off night for the Hawks. They’ve still won 11 of their last 14 games counting the loss to Los Angeles, and will savor another matchup against the Bulls to get over their latest defeat. Atlanta defeated Chicago at home just last Friday, 102-93, with the team leading by as much as 30 points in that affair.
And before you’d argue that the Hawks’ game on Wednesday will be played in the Windy City, it’s worth noting that they’ve won five of their last six games on the road (4-2 ATS).
Finally showing signs of coming through in the clutch are the Chicago Bulls, who won their second-straight game Tuesday at Orlando against the struggling Magic, 100-92.
The tandem of Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler were tough to contain down the stretch of Tuesday’s contest, as the two combined for 13 of the Bulls’ 22 points in the fourth quarter. Wade finished with 21 points, while Butler wasn’t far behind with 20 of his own. Butler, in particular, has been quite a beast after coming back from his brief run-in with an illness. He’s averaging 21.6 points, 6.3 boards and 6.3 assists in the six games since his return to action on January 14.
Then again, there are still some pressing factors working against Chicago heading into Wednesday’s clash against the Hawks. At the top of the list: the team still lacks a viable point guard, as second-year player Jerian Grant was forced to start in Tuesday’s win with both Michael Carter-Williams and Rajon Rondo still causing more harm than good at running the offense. Grant, by the way, tallied just seven points with no assists and finished with a minus-11 rating.
Furthermore, the Bulls will travel from Florida back to Illinois on the second of a back-to-back. And to make matters worse, they’ve lost six-consecutive meetings and seven of their last nine against the Hawks (1-5 and 2-7 ATS, respectively).
Writer’s Prediction
The Hawks (-1) kill the Bulls’ short-lived momentum once again, 101-95.
