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Preview: Hawks face Heat in search of back-to-back wins

NBA: Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Update: Sarah Spencer of the AJC reports that De’Andre Hunter will return to the starting lineup for Tuesday’s game, joining Kevin Huerter on the wing. For Miami, Bam Adebayo (groin) was upgraded from questionable to probable.


The Atlanta Hawks put together an encouraging performance on Sunday evening, taking care of business in a lopsided win over the Charlotte Hornets. After a day off for travel, Trae Young and company will face a difficult test on Tuesday evening, with the Hawks squaring off against Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.

For the first time in quite a while, Atlanta’s injury report is (very) clean, with Alex Len (flu-like symptoms) listed as probable and John Collins (suspension) as the only player expected to miss Tuesday’s game. On the Miami side, there are more questions, with standout big man Bam Adebayo (groin) questionable and two high-profile absences in Justise Winslow (back) and Goran Dragic (groin).

As a result of the uncertainty for Miami (particularly around Adebayo), there is no point spread available as of early Tuesday morning. Still, the Hawks will be strong underdogs against a Heat team that is 17-6 and unbeaten at home, illustrating the tall task ahead for Lloyd Pierce’s team.

There are plenty of intriguing match-ups, with a bunch of interesting rookies — Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn for Miami and De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish for Atlanta — and the Hawks facing a tough task in dealing with Jimmy Butler. While the game is no longer on TNT, it is a good measuring stick for the Hawks and fun should be had by all.

Stay tuned throughout the day and be encouraged to utilize the comments below as a “game thread” for the action.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, Dec. 10, 8:00 pm ET

Location: American Airlines Arena

TV: Fox Sports Southeast, NBA League Pass

Radio: 92.9 The Game (Atlanta); Hawks Radio Network

Streaming: Fox Sports Go, NBA League Pass