Atlanta Hawks 11-12 Season Game #65 | ||
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40-24 | 38-26 | |
Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia | ||
April 24, 2012, 7:30 PM | ||
SportSouth, 99X and 98.9 FM, NBA Audio League Pass | ||
Probable starters: | ||
Chris Paul | PG | Jeff Teague |
Randy Foye | SG | Kirk Hinrich |
Caron Butler | SF | Joe Johnson |
Blake Griffin | PF | Josh Smith |
Deandre Jordan | C | Jason Collins |
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Hawks Injury/Inactive Report: Al Horford (pectoral) is out and Zaza Pachulia (foot) is day-to-day.
Clippers Injury/Inactive Report: Chauncey Billups (achilles) is out.
More SB Nation Coverage: SB Nation Atlanta, Clips Nation
Game Preview:
It's official, the Hawks and the Celtics will indeed meet in the first round. The Hawks have clinched the 5th seed, and the Celtics have clinched the 4th seed. Neither team can move up or down. The only thing left up in the air is which of the two teams will get homecourt advantage?
Currently, the Hawks have a one game lead over the Celtics with only two games remaining for each team. In order for the Hawks to keep that homecourt advantage, the Hawks have to at least match the record of the Celtics in the next two games. Meaning, if the Celtics win both of their games (vs. MIA & vs. MIL), the Hawks have to win both of their games (vs. LAC & vs. DAL). If the Celtics and the Hawks finish with the same record, the Celtics will steal the homecourt advantage.
With that being said, this game has a lot of meaning. No matter if the Celtics win or lose tonight vs. the Heat, this game is still a must-win for the Hawks. If the Celtics lose and the Hawks win, the Hawks will clinch homecourt. If the Celtics win and the Hawks win, it will all come down to the last game. The Hawks should have a must-win mindset tonight.
Unfortunately, the Clippers will have the same mindset tonight, as they are still battling for something in these last 2 games of the regular season. The Clippers have a shot of winning their first division title in franchise history. They have to win their next two games and for the Lakers to lose their last game in order for them to get it. However, even if they don't get that division title, the Clippers will still have a chance to have homecourt advantage in the first round. They are currently at the 4th seed with only a half game lead over the Grizzlies and the 5th seed.
Current/Past Season Series:
The Clippers are visiting Philips Arena for the first time this season to wrap up the 2 game season series. The Clippers won the first match-up this season in March with a 96-82 victory.
Before that loss, the Hawks had a 4 game winning streak against the Los Angeles Clippers. Still, the Hawks have a 2 game winning streak against the Clippers when it is played in Philips Arena. The Clippers' last win in Philips Arena came on February of 2009.
Clippers & Hawks Current Records/Streaks:
Away/Home: The Clippers are 16-15 on the road, and the Hawks have a 21-10 record at home.
Streaks/Trends: The Clippers are on a 1 game win streak, and the Hawks are on a 1 game losing streak. The Clippers have also won 14 out of their last 17 games, and the Hawks have won 8 out of their last 11 games.
Against .500+ teams: The Clippers post a 22-15 record against teams with winning records, while the Hawks only post a 12-21 record.