Injury report paints bleak picture for Atlanta Hawks in Cleveland

Paul Millsap was already set to miss Friday’s game in against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back set. However, the Atlanta Hawks made the decision on Friday afternoon to play things very cautiously and the injury report is littered with players that are now likely to miss the contest.

Kent Bazemore (right knee bone bruise) and Thabo Sefolosha (right groin strain) have been officially ruled out for the proceedings, joining Millsap in street clothes. In addition, Tim Hardaway Jr. (left wrist sprain, right knee contusion) and Dennis Schröder (right mid-foot sprain) are both listed as doubtful, indicating that the team’s recent starting backcourt is very unlikely to participate in the game.

While this is not a stunning decision from the Hawks in light of the decision to rest Millsap, it does produce a situation in which Atlanta is a massive underdog (15 points, according to the wise folks in the desert) against Cleveland. In fact, one could assume that this is a “punt” situation for Mike Budenholzer, as he prioritizes health and rest for Sunday afternoon’s home game against the reigning NBA champions.

Players like DeAndre Bembry, Kris Humphries, Malcolm Delaney, Ryan Kelly and Jose Calderon would all likely see time if the entire contingent misses Friday’s game, though it should be noted that Dwight Howard and Ersan Ilyasova are not listed on the published injury report at this time. Stay tuned.