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The last time the Atlanta Hawks played the Chicago Bulls they set franchise lows for points in a half with 20 in a 98-57 loss. The two teams meet again on Saturday with Atlanta looking for a much better effort this time around.
The Hawks could be catching the Bulls at the right time. Chicago played just eight players in Friday's 93-89 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich and Carlos Boozer all sat out Friday's game with various injuries and all three are listed as questionable against the Hawks. Boozer has missed the last two with a hamstring injury and seems like the most likely to play of the three. Hinrich returned to Chicago with an elbow injury and Noah is dealing with a foot injury. Taj Gibson played all 48 minutes of Friday's game and Luol Deng played over 47 minutes so fatigue could be a factor on Saturday if the Bulls don't get some healthy bodies back.
Atlanta has been off since Wednesday's 93-92 comeback win over the Toronto Raptors. The Hawks are relatively healthy except for Zaza Pachulia who continues to deal with a sore Achilles. Pachulia sat out Friday's practice and is questionable for Saturday's game.
Chicago ranks seventh in the league in boards per game at 43.7 but Noah and Boozer account for 21.0 by themselves. The Hawks have struggled all season to keep opposing teams off the glass and are currently 26th in the league. The Hawks controlled the boards in the first matchup between the two teams out rebounding Chicago 45-31 in a 92-75 win back in December. However, Chicago owned a 59-39 advantage in the blowout win in January. The Hawks will need a good effort on the boards Saturday regardless if Noah and Boozer are able to play or not.
Game date/time: Saturday, February 2, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: SportSouth, WGN America
Radio: 680 The Fan, 93.7 FM
Online Streaming: NBA League Pass Broadband