The Atlanta Hawks will send Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, DeShawn Stevenson, Josh Smith, and Al Horford onto the court to face off with the top team in the Western Conference (and the NBA), the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Hawks will be without Devin Harris who has a sore left foot, and Anthony Morrow is a game-time decision with stiffness in his back. Morrow put shots up two hours before game-time, and then went into the locker room to get treatment and to stretch out the back, as his status remains uncertain. With Harris out and Morrow possibly being unavailable, Larry Drew said before the game that John Jenkins could "very possibly" get some minutes tonight. He also said that he will rely on his bench more after last-night's overtime win in Washington where he, "may have overused some guys." The Hawks were able to win their first meeting with the Thunder, in Oklahoma City (without Josh Smith), but this Thunder team is rolling and are winners of their last 11 games. It will take a total team performance and some very stingy perimeter defensefor the Hawks to have a repeat performance, but Atlanta is extremely good (20-4 in their last 24) in the second game of a home back-to-back. This game will be yet another measuring stick for the Hawks to measure their success this season, and they have had mixed results early in these quote on quote "statement games."
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