After a strong fourth quarter showing in a win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, the Atlanta Hawks return home to Philips Arena for a match-up against the Miami Heat on Friday evening. This game will kick off a back-to-back set that concludes with a road contest against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, but the Hawks will be keen on focusing their attention to Miami in the first game.
Oh, and it is 2 Chainz Night at Philips Arena.
The Heat also enter on the heels of a win, as Miami upended Boston on Wednesday evening. The Heat are operating short-handed, with Chris Bosh on the sideline for the remainder of the 2014-2015 season, but Miami is still a talented team with Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside and Luol Deng capable of posing match-up issues on a nightly basis.
From the Hawks perspective, it was a positive sign to welcome back Thabo Sefolosha on Wednesday, but the team is now forced to worry about the health of Jeff Teague. The All-Star point guard rolled his ankle during the win over Orlando, and while he did come back into the game, there is certainly some concern that he could be sidelined for the immediate future. Status updates on Teague will likely come available later in the day, but if he is unable to go, expect a full diet of Dennis Schröder and Shelvin Mack.
Because the division is wrapped up and the number one seed is nearly clinched, there has been a sentiment that the Atlanta Hawks should begin more liberally resting players, and that could be on the horizon. However, indications are that Mike Budenholzer is far more likely to do so on Saturday in Charlotte than at home on Friday, meaning that the team should be near full strength against the Heat as Miami jockeys for playoff positioning.
The Heat are a reasonable possibility as a first round match-up for the Hawks, and with 2 Chainz on the agenda at Philips Arena on Friday, this one should be entertaining from start to finish. Stay tuned.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, March 27, 7:30 pm ET
Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: SportSouth
Radio: 92.9 "The Game" FM