Saturday night's 13-point win over the Miami Heat provided enough fireworks for the Atlanta Hawks to last for days, but in the shadow of that playoff-clinching victory, the Hawks are set to take on the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday night in what is the final regular season home game of the season. In the standings, this game means absolutely nothing from a Hawks perspective, though, and that lends a bit of intrigue to the possibilities.
The Hawks are notoriously coy in alerting the public to their intentions with injuries and rotations, and because of that, we are simply taking shots in the dark with regard to who will and will not be available here. With no incentive to win (other than pride, etc.), it would seem to be common sense for Atlanta to rest anyone with any sort of nagging injury, placing guys like Pero Antic (who sat out on Saturday), Paul Millsap (thumb) and DeMarre Carroll (hand) in direct peril with regard to their availability.
From a fan's perspective, the most entertaining part about this game may be the opportunity (or at least, the presumed opportunity) to see some extended time for the young guys. Mike Muscala and Dennis Schröder (who was the victim of a DNP-CD on Saturday) should get on the floor for some time here, and against a real, live team like the Bobcats, that is invaluable experience.
Honestly, this is a game that should be monitored from a pure entertainment perspective, and that is fun on occasion. The visiting Bobcats should be playing hard with an opportunity to climb out of the 7th spot still on the horizon, but this is a full-scale tune up for the Atlanta Hawks, and it should be treated as such. Stay tuned for coverage throughout the night.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, April 14, 7:30 p.m.
Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: SportSouth
Radio: 92.9 "The Game" FM