After a brutal loss to the Pistons, the Atlanta Hawks aim to get back on track tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Will the Hawks bounce back against the 76ers?
Through 26 games, the Atlanta Hawks sit at 14-12, landing them at ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are only one game behind the fourth-seeded 76ers.
Conveniently for the Hawks, they have a huge opportunity to close that gap tonight. After a tough Friday night loss on the road to the red-hot Pistons, Atlanta will take on the Philadelphia 76ers tonight at home.
Being back at State Farm Arena might not be as much of an advantage as many would expect. Despite a consistently supportive crowd, the Atlanta Hawks are just 4-6 at their home arena this season.
In all fairness, they've played many more games on the road than at home this year. Through 16 road games, they have an impressive record of 10-6.
Getting back on track against a tough 76ers team could do wonders for a Hawks team dealing with fatigue and short-handed lineups.
This one won't be easy, however, as games between the Hawks and 76ers seem to always come down to the wire.
If this one is anything like the last one, fans are in store for a quality basketball game.
In the only matchup of the season so far between the Hawks and 76ers, the game went to double-overtime, where Atlanta ended up scraping by for the victory.
Jalen Johnson had a career night with 41 points and 14 rebounds, while Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey recorded 44 points and 9 assists. It was one for the ages, and viewers should expect to see a similar level of intensity on Sunday.
In the first game in Philadelphia, however, Atlanta received a major boost from their breakout offensive star, Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Alexander-Walker was a new addition to the injury report on Saturday, as he was ruled questionable for Sunday's game with a right ankle sprain.
If he is unable to give it a go, the Hawks will be down three of their four top scorers. Quin Snyder will likely have to rely on Jalen Johnson to put up a similarly dominant effort to his last outing against Philadelphia.
Kristaps Porzingis remains out with an illness, missing his eighth game of Atlanta's last ten.
Both teams could be short-handed, however, as Philadelphia will be without Tyrese Maxey, who was listed as out this afternoon with an illness of his own.
Joel Embiid remains questionable as the team carefully manages his return to action.
Tonight's in-conference matchup should be a entertaining one, with both teams missing key players and fighting to stay afloat in a competitive Eastern Conference.