After rattling off 4 straight wins, the Atlanta Hawks are searching for a fifth once they return to motion tonight in opposition to the Los Angeles Clippers. They performed a sloppy sport in opposition to the Hornets yesterday, however in the end tightened as much as safe a 123-110 win. Particularly, Trae Younger scored 35 factors on an ideal 21-21 from the free throw line and Atlanta's bench picked up the starters. The bench scored 57 factors in comparison with simply 18 factors from the Hornets bench. Caris LeVert scored 15 factors to cleared the path for the bench unit and of the 5 gamers off the bench, just one (Dominick Barlow, who had 9 factors) failed to attain in double-digits. On protection, Atlanta tormented Charlotte's shaky offense by forcing 21 turnovers.
Even so, issues will must be sharper in opposition to the Clippers. They've gained 4 of their final 5 and are coming off a 119-104 victory over the Warmth. Los Angeles is presently the eighth seed within the Western Convention, however they blew the Hawks off the courtroom in a 131-105 beatdown throughout their final matchup. It was one in all Atlanta's weakest performances of the 12 months – eight Clippers scored in double digits that sport and the Hawks shot 43.2% from the sphere as a workforce.
It is a sport stuffed with acquainted faces on either side. For Atlanta, will probably be Terance Mann's first sport in opposition to his outdated workforce after being traded from LA in change for Bogdan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic's return to Atlanta shouldn’t be undersold – he’s simply probably the greatest rotation gamers the Hawks have had in current reminiscence. Each have made an affect of their new locations and will probably be attention-grabbing to see how they carry out in opposition to groups that they know very nicely.
Coming into tonight's sport, the Hawks are fifth within the NBA in PPG, 14th in FG%, fifteenth in 3PA, nineteenth in 3P%, 2nd in FTA, twenty sixth in turnovers, and twelfth in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 18th in factors per 100 possessions, 18th in efficient area purpose share, twenty first in turnover share, twelfth in offensive rebounding share, and fifth in free throw price.
Presently, the Hawks rank twenty seventh in PPG allowed, twenty eighth in area purpose share allowed, seventeenth in three-point makes an attempt allowed, and twenty eighth in three-point share allowed. Per Cleansing the Glass, Atlanta is seventeenth in factors allowed per 100 possessions and twenty eighth in efficient area purpose share allowed.
The Clippers' offense principally does sufficient to help their protection, however lacks the elite ceiling of different Western Convention groups. They’re twenty first within the NBA in PPG, thirteenth in FG%, twenty eighth in 3PA, sixteenth in 3P% and twenty seventh in FTA, twenty second in turnovers, and twentieth in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Los Angeles is twentieth in factors per 100 possessions, fifteenth in efficient area purpose share, twenty fourth in turnover share, twentieth in offensive rebounding share, and eleventh in free throw price.
The hallmark of this Clippers workforce has been its protection and the stats bear that out. They rank fifth in PPG allowed, tenth in area purpose share allowed, 14th in three-point makes an attempt allowed, and tenth in three-point share allowed. Per Cleansing the Glass, the Clippers are 4th in factors allowed per 100 possessions and tenth in efficient area purpose share allowed.
All through this win streak, Trae Younger has been glorious for the Hawks. He's scored 35, 36 and 22 factors whereas eclipsing double digit assists in two of his final three. The effectivity hasn't been unimaginable and he has struggled with turnovers (12 turnovers in his final two outings), however he’s doing the whole lot he can for the Hawks offense as they try and safe a playoff spot. Kris Dunn is an excellent perimeter defender and he held Younger to 4/14 capturing throughout their final matchup. It's going to be troublesome to stave off Dunn, however Younger might want to discover a solution to get sufficient photographs to fall to maintain Atlanta on this sport.
Dyson Daniels is coming off one in all his higher defensive performances of the 12 months – a 4 steal, two block effort versus the Hornets. The DPOY contender has saved up his robust play on the perimeter and his offense has not misplaced a step as of late. In his final 10 video games, he's capturing a mind-blowing TS% of 60.2 whereas hitting on 61.1% of his three-pointers. He's not taking plenty of them, however he capitalizes on those that he places up and it's been extremely useful for the Hawks' offense. The Clippers are fairly stingy on the perimeter, so each made three from Daniels goes to be large for the Hawks' possibilities on this matchup. On protection, he'll have the unenviable accountability of slowing down James Harden. Harden isn't fairly the MVP he as soon as was, however his 50-point explosion in opposition to the Pistons exhibits that he's nonetheless a deadly scorer. Harden had 15 assists to 4 turnovers in his final apperance versus the Hawks, so Daniels shall be a giant a part of ensuring that Harden can't take over the sport together with his passing.
Terence Mann isn't essentially the most constant rotation participant, however his exercise and hustle present up on each ends of the courtroom. He had 10 factors in opposition to Charlotte, however he was instrumental within the Hawks' win over the 76ers within the prevous sport and scored 19 factors on 9-13 capturing. He has made his presence felt within the Hawks' second unit by means of his 14 video games and I anticipate he'll be making an attempt to do extra of the identical in opposition to his outdated workforce. He'll be part of slowing down Harden and presumably Norman Powell , who's had a wonderful season for the Clippers. Powell is averaging 23.8 factors on 49.4/42.4/82.1 capturing splits and torched Atlanta from deep throughout their final matchup, going 4 of 10 from deep. Nonetheless, he has not been formally introduced as being avaliable for the Clippers attributable to a hamstring subject.
Onyeka Okongwu has a tricky matchup tonight versus Ivica Zubac, who's feasted off of operating pick-and-roll actions with Harden. Zubac is averaging a career-high 16.2 factors and 12.5 rebounds whereas capturing 62.2% from the sphere. Luckily, Okongwu has been a lot better in opposition to true seven-footers like Zubac this season. He did nicely in opposition to Myles Turner, posting double-doubles in each of Atlanta's video games in opposition to the Pacers.
Kawhi Leonard is all the time a pressure to be reckoned with. He hit the game-winning shot for LA in opposition to the Sacramento Kings and he attracts defensive consideration even when he’s coping with a knee harm in the mean time. To decelerate Leonard, Atlanta will seemingly use some mixture of Mo Gueye and Georges Niang. Whether or not that’s profitable stays to be seen.
It must be famous that Bogdan Bogdanovic has been rounding into kind as a Clipper. He's improved his capturing from the 30.1% three-point mark he had with the Hawks as much as 34.9% on 5.9 makes an attempt a sport. Bogdanovic is coming off a 30 level, 10 rebound outing in opposition to the Warmth and there shall be some motivation for him to repeat that effort in opposition to the Hawks. It'll be as much as a questionable Hawks protection to maintain him in verify.
Trae Younger (proper Achilles tendinitis) is possible whereas Clint Capela (household causes) is questionable.
For Los Angeles, Ben Simmons is questionable with left knee harm administration whereas Norman Powell is out with a proper hamstring pressure.
In line with Fanduel Sportsbook, the Clippers are 4.5 level favorites in opposition to the Hawks tonight and the full is about at 232.5.
Hawks:
G- Trae Younger
G – Dyson Daniels
F – Zaccharie Risacher
F – Mouhamed Gueye
C – Onyeka Okongwu
Clippers:
G – James Harden
G – Kris Dunn
F – Kawhi Leonard
F – Nicolas Batum
C- Ivica Zubac
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