Wizards vs Hawks preview: Atlanta tries to keep streak alive against Washington

Things got a little bit dicey on Friday night, but the Atlanta Hawks emerged with a sixth straight victory after staving off an assault from Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans. There is no time to rest for Mike Budenholzer's team, however, as the Hawks return home to close a four-game, five-night stretch with a battle against the Washington Wizards.

Washington has put together a quality start to the season with a 3-2 record, but the Wizards actually suffered a surprising 20-point loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics on Friday. On one hand, the Hawks can take solace in the fact that the Wizards are also traveling on the second of a back-to-back set, but on the other, Washington should be highly motivated following that type of defeat.

From a personnel standpoint, it will be interesting to see how Mike Budenholzer handles the rotation again in this spot. Kyle Korver and Thabo Sefolosha have been trading off back-to-backs to begin the year, and with Sefolosha out on Friday, the team may elect to rest Korver, even after a perfect shooting night against New Orleans. That would theoretically open things up for Dennis Schröder and Kent Bazemore (among others), but Washington does present match-up issues with one of the best offensive backcourts in the league featuring John Wall and Bradley Beal.

It would be easy to generate hype for this match-up, as many pundits expect the Hawks and Wizards to battle for Southeast Division supremacy throughout the season. For now, though, this is a fun basketball game between two of the top teams in the East, and the hometown crowd at Philips Arena should enjoy this one thoroughly. Stay tuned throughout the day.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Saturday, November 7, 7:30 p.m. ET

Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

TV: Fox Sports Southeast, NBA League Pass

Radio: 92.9 "The Game" FM