Hawks vs Heat preview: Atlanta looks to get back on track in Miami

The Atlanta Hawks return to action on Sunday when they travel to Miami to face the Heat. Hopefully, Atlanta put a pair of off days to good use as they look to get back on track after dropping two straight and four of their last five games.

As has been the case for much of the season, Atlanta heads into Sunday's game searching for some form of consistency. The Hawks have been up and down for much of the entire season and have yet to really settle into a rhythm.

If there is a bit of good news for Atlanta it is their improvement at the defensive end of the floor. The Hawks have moved up to seventh in the league in defensive efficiency allowing 100.3 points per 100 possessions. They are allowing 98.8 per 100 possessions during the month of January.

The problem for Atlanta has been a sagging offense that has been hamstrung by cold shooting and increased turnovers. Atlanta hasn't scored more than 95 points during their 1-4 stretch and are averaging 18 turnovers per contest. They will need to improve quickly if they hope to knock off a Miami team that has gotten its act together after struggling for most of the month.

The Heat just finished an impossible stretch where they played 14 of 16 on the road. They lost 7 of 8 games at one point but have rallied back to win their last three.

The Hawks received some good news on the injury front when Paul Millsap was upgraded to "probable" for Sunday's game. Millsap tweaked his ankle in the second quarter of Thursday's loss to the Indiana Pacers and did not return. The two off days appear to have served him well and he is expected to be back in the starting lineup on Sunday.

Miami could be without one of its key players on Sunday as Hassan Whiteside is listed as questionable with a hip strain that has kept him out of the last four games.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Sunday, January 31, 6 p.m. ET

Location: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, Florida

TV: Fox Sports Southeast

Radio: 92.9 "The Game" FM