Atlanta fans will get their first glimpse at the new-look Hawks on Saturday when the club returns home to entertain the Boston Celtics.
The Hawks have been on a four-game West Coast road trip since the team traded away all-star point guard Trae Young on Jan. 7. Atlanta went 2-2 on the trip and lost to the Portland Trail Blazers 117-101 on Thursday, despite entering the fourth quarter trailing by just one.
It will be the third game on Boston’s four-game road trip. The Celtics ended a two-game losing streak Thursday by rallying from a 19-point deficit to defeat the Miami Heat 119-114. Boston has won six of its last nine.
CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, the two players acquired by Atlanta in the trade with Washington, have played well in the three games since joining the team. Both are coming off the bench.
McCollum is averaging 19 points since joining Atlanta, including 25 points against the Los Angeles Lakers and 20 against the Blazers. He needs four 3-pointers to tie Eric Gordon for the 17th most in NBA history at 2,092. Kispert is averaging eight points and scored 19 against the Lakers.
“There’s a lot there. It’s midseason, your team is evolving and it affects your performance,” Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said. “Hopefully, things start to normalize, and you can take the steps you need. We can look at the tape and see where it confirms where we need to be better. With a group that’s new to each other, we just need to work through those things and feel more connected and get to know each other more.”
The Hawks need to get healthy, too. They played Thursday without starters Kristaps Porzingis (left Achilles tendinitis) and Zaccharie Risacher (left knee bone bruise), as well as reserve Luke Kennard (neck sprain). Porzingis has missed four straight games and has been limited to 17 games this season with assorted injuries.
Boston’s comeback, its second biggest of the season, was sparked by Anfernee Simons, who came off the bench to score 18 of his season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter. It was the second-highest-scoring game for a reserve in the league this season.
“I thought he was great,” Boston coach Joe Mazzula said. “Scoring is what he’s done most of his career, but the way he defended … Credit to him and credit to his teammates for creating an environment that he could do it. He kept us in the first half and helped us pull away.”
Boston continues to be led by Jaylen Brown, who averages 29.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists. He scored 27 against the Heat. In 27 career games against the Hawks, the Atlanta-area native is averaging 17.6 points.
The Celtics are playing without Josh Minott (left ankle sprain).
This is the first of four meetings between the two clubs this season. Atlanta won two of three against Boston last season, but the Celtics won the game in Atlanta.
The Hawks have been better on the road this season. They are 13-12 on the road and only 7-11 at home. Boston is 13-8 on the road.
–Field Level Media
