Pacers vs Hawks preview: Atlanta hosts Indiana for Sunday matinee

The Atlanta Hawks picked up a victory on Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, but their task looks to be more difficult on Sunday evening. The Indiana Pacers invade Philips Arena in the midst of a three-game winning streak and, unlike Memphis, Frank Vogel's team will be working with a full complement of talent, headlined by Paul George.

For what was a double-digit win on Saturday, the Hawks did not play particularly well in any single facet, and Atlanta must improve to secure another positive result here. George presents a match-up problem for just about anyone (look for Kent Bazemore and Thabo Sefolosha to see the lion's share of this duty), but the Pacers bring quality personnel to the table at a number of spots.

More importantly, Indiana is a team that Atlanta is directly competing with for playoff position, as the Pacers trail the Hawks by 1.5 games in the Eastern Conference standings. While playing a back-to-back (with a time change) is never fun, both teams are on a level playing field with Indiana playing in Dallas on Saturday, and this result could be about the team with more energy and effort than anything else.

Every game and result is magnified in March, and the Hawks could certainly use this victory. Stay tuned throughout the day for coverage from Philips Arena and let's do this together.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Sunday, March 13, 6:00 p.m. ET

Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

TV: NBA-TV, Fox Sports Southeast, NBA League Pass

Radio: 92.9 "The Game" FM