After rattling off 4 straight wins, the Atlanta Hawks are in search of 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 finally 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 paved the way 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 should 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 at present the eighth seed within the Western Convention, however they blew the Hawks off the court docket in a 131-105 beatdown throughout their final matchup. It was certainly one of Atlanta's weakest performances of the yr – eight Clippers scored in double digits that sport and the Hawks shot 43.2% from the sector as a workforce.
This can be a sport filled with acquainted faces on each side. For Atlanta, it is going to be Terance Mann's first sport in opposition to his outdated workforce after being traded from LA in change for Bogdan Bogdanovic.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 top-of-the-line rotation gamers the Hawks have had in latest reminiscence. Each have made an impression of their new locations and it is going to be attention-grabbing to see how they carry out in opposition to groups that they know very effectively.
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 subject purpose proportion, twenty first in turnover proportion, twelfth in offensive rebounding proportion, and fifth in free throw price.
At present, the Hawks rank twenty seventh in PPG allowed, twenty eighth in subject purpose proportion allowed, seventeenth in three-point makes an attempt allowed, and twenty eighth in three-point proportion allowed. Per Cleansing the Glass, Atlanta is seventeenth in factors allowed per 100 possessions and twenty eighth in efficient subject purpose proportion allowed.
The Clippers' offense principally does sufficient to assist 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 subject purpose proportion, twenty fourth in turnover proportion, twentieth in offensive rebounding proportion, 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 subject purpose proportion allowed, 14th in three-point makes an attempt allowed, and tenth in three-point proportion allowed. Per Cleansing the Glass, the Clippers are 4th in factors allowed per 100 possessions and tenth in efficient subject purpose proportion 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 unbelievable and he has struggled with turnovers (12 turnovers in his final two outings), however he’s doing all the pieces he can for the Hawks offense as they try to safe a playoff spot. Kris Dunn is an excellent perimeter defender and he held Younger to 4/14 taking pictures throughout their final matchup. It's going to be troublesome to stave off Dunn, however Younger might want to discover a approach to get sufficient pictures to fall to maintain Atlanta on this sport.
Dyson Daniels is coming off certainly one of his higher defensive performances of the yr – a 4 steal, two block effort versus the Hornets. The DPOY contender has saved up his sturdy play on the perimeter and his offense has not misplaced a step as of late. In his final 10 video games, he's taking pictures a mind-blowing TS% of 60.2 whereas hitting on 61.1% of his three-pointers. He's not taking a whole lot 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 huge for the Hawks' probabilities 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 reveals that he's nonetheless a deadly scorer. Harden had 15 assists to 4 turnovers in his final apperance versus the Hawks, so Daniels will probably 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 court docket. 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 taking pictures. He has made his presence felt within the Hawks' second unit by means of his 14 video games and I anticipate he'll be attempting to do extra of the identical in opposition to his outdated workforce. He'll be part of slowing down Harden and probably Norman Powell , who's had a superb season for the Clippers. Powell is averaging 23.8 factors on 49.4/42.4/82.1 taking pictures 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 as a consequence of a hamstring problem.
Onyeka Okongwu has a troublesome 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 taking pictures 62.2% from the sector. Thankfully, Okongwu has been significantly better in opposition to true seven-footers like Zubac this season. He did effectively in opposition to Myles Turner, posting double-doubles in each of Atlanta's video games in opposition to the Pacers.
Kawhi Leonard is at all times 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 damage for the time being. To decelerate Leonard, Atlanta will possible use some mixture of Mo Gueye and Georges Niang. Whether or not that’s profitable stays to be seen.
It needs to be famous that Bogdan Bogdanovic has been rounding into type as a Clipper. He's improved his taking pictures 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 will probably 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 damage administration whereas Norman Powell is out with a proper hamstring pressure.
Based on Fanduel Sportsbook, the Clippers are 4.5 level favorites in opposition to the Hawks tonight and the whole is ready 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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