Tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET in Atlanta the first-place Hawks (37-8) will take the court against the Brooklyn Nets (18-26) on ESPN in an Eastern Conference clash that can be live streamed free by clicking this link. Hawks fans can hear the action on Sports 92.9 Atlanta, while Nets fans may do likewise by turning their dials to 101.9 WFAN FM.
The Atlanta Hawks are difficult to shrug off as a first-half fluke these days, maintaining the NBA's top offense through 45 games and drawing praise like this from Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders.
"They're the best combination offensive and defensive team we've played," Saunders said.
Their heavy ball movement and elite shooting, spearheaded by 3-point sniper Kyle Korver, who is knocking down treys at a 53 percent clip on a tick under six attempts, has been amplified by the sixth best defense in the Association. That improvement has been sped up by the return of center Al Horford, who has found his rhythm after a slow start to the year.
He has also chipped in 15.2 points per game on 54 percent shooting from the field. "I have a good rhythm right now and I'm taking open shots," Horford said. "My teammates are setting me up. It's easy."
Point guard Jeff Teague is the catalyst of this league-best offense, handing out 7.5 assists a night and adding 17.5 of his own points.
This healthy club is looking to extend their winning streak to 17 games, while the Nets, nursing a two-game skid, have dropped 10 of their last 12. Center Mason Plumlee thinks at this point the team just has to give greater effort regardless of who is on the court. Point guard Deron Williams has missed the team's last 10 tilts.
"It's not really a strategic thing anymore, we just need to give more," Plumlee said.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.