John Denton sets the mood:

There was a time when going to Atlanta was the equivalent of a NBA vacation what with the night life the city offered the visiting players and the homecoming doormat of a team calling Philips Arena home.

But with the Hawks now stockpiled with young, dynamic talent and clearly positioned as a franchise finally on the rise, the days of treating the Atlanta Hawks like a speed bump are over.

Our dark past is someone else's glory days. There's a lesson in there somewhere.

Dwight Howard states his intention:

"(The Hawks) seem to have our number lately, but this is our chance to send a message to that team from the start of the game. They really play well at home and they are a good team, but if we go down there and dominate from the first quarter we can get ourselves a good win."

Rashard Lewis provides a second:

"We need to set the tone right away and let them know that we're the better team. Obviously it's a big game and they beat us early in the season, but we'll be ready."