Atlanta Hawks head into this home game against the Boston Celtics with the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference, while their opponents have lost seven of their last eight games.
Boston Celtics have played against playoff teams from last season in 13 of their 14 games so far this season and are 4-10, but only two victories away from the eighth spot in the East. They have lost four games in a row, and it would be a surprise if the streak ends today.
Boston's rookie point guard Marcus Smart got some good news yesterday. A CT scan of his ankle came up negative. He is, however, not with the team in Atlanta. Smart injured his ankle on November 7, and although he hasn't exactly filled up the box score, the Celtics have missed his defense and energy.
Head coach Brad Stevens moved center Tyler Zeller into the starting lineup before Sunday's game against San Antonio Spurs, sending Kelly Olynyk to the bench. Brad Stevens says that he may tinker some more with Boston's rotations tonight, but that the starters will be the same as Sunday, which means another start for Zeller.
The Atlanta Hawks are injury costless and with a 7-2 home record. They are the clear-cut favorites in this game. The offense has been humming with point guard Jeff Teague playing some of the best basketball of his career lately. One of the keys to the game will be, whether Boston's Avery Bradley or Rajon Rondo can stop Teague from being the X-factor.
Another key is whether Boston's shooting woes continue. Their most prominent offensive threat, Jeff Green, only hits 26 percent of his three-point shots this season, compared to 34 percent last season. On the opposing end, Kyle Korver has made it a habit to shoot lights out against Boston, hitting over 50 percent on threes against them since his arrival in Atlanta.
The most important factor is probably Boston's team defense. They are still among the worst in the league, but they have shown some improvement lately. They are going up against a very effective offense that can play inside out with Paul Millsap and Al Horford both being very versatile big men.
After this game, Atlanta will hit the road to play in Miami tomorrow. Meanwhile, Boston may look to turn things around in a three-game home stand against the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, and Washington Wizards, in that order, starting tomorrow.
