Hawks vs Raptors preview: Atlanta closes out road trip in Toronto

Don't look now, but the Atlanta Hawks have won three consecutive games on the road.

Putting together that type of streak seemed virtually inconceivable (at least to some) prior to the start of this road trip, but even after a heart-breaker in Oakland to kick things off, the Hawks have bounced back in a nice way. With wins over the Lakers, Clippers and Jazz as the backdrop, Atlanta will close this five-game trip in Canada on Thursday night, and their task is difficult yet again with a match-up against the Raptors.

Toronto is playing arguably the best basketball in the Eastern Conference right now, as they try to track down the Cleveland Cavaliers for the number one seed. The Raptors sit at 42-20 on the year as they enter this contest against the Hawks, and point guard Kyle Lowry has been out of this world in recent days, lighting the league on fire to the tune of 24.0 points (on 51% FG and 43% 3PT) and 7.0 assists per game in his last 15 outings.

The last game of a long road trip is usually a rough predicament for the visiting team, and given that the Raptors are simply better than the Hawks right now, the prognosis does not look particularly encouraging on Thursday. However, Atlanta's defense has been lights-out in the recent past, and if the offense can simply sustain an average performance, Mike Budenholzer's team will certainly have a fighting chance.

At the very least, this game could serve as a playoff preview for both fan bases, and that is always fun in mid-March. Stay tuned throughout the day for all the latest and let's do this together.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Thursday, March 10, 7:30 pm ET

Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario

TV: Fox Sports Southeast, NBA League Pass

Radio: 92.9 "The Game" FM