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The Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets will matchup Friday night at State Farm Arena. The Hawks will be looking to stop a five-game losing streak at home after extending their road winning streak to five games in Orlando on Wednesday.
Denver has had a tale of two seasons so far this year: When Nikola Jokic is off the court and when he is not. The Nuggets are a ridiculous 28 points better per 100 possessions when Jokic is on the floor this season compared to when he sits.
An absolutely wild stat in advance of Hawks-Nuggets on Friday.
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) December 17, 2021
Denver has a +12.5 net rating with Nikola Jokic on the floor this season.
Denver has a -16.2 net rating with Nikola Jokic off the floor this season.
These splits are truly preposterous, and perhaps exaggerated due to the Nuggets playing much of the season without Michael Porter Jr. (and all of it without Jamal Murray).
Atlanta will continue to play shorthanded on the wing as De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic remain out. Kevin Huerter has been solid in their absence and Cam Reddish has shown flashes including a solid all-around showing in Wednesday’s win over the Magic. It will be interesting to see if he cracks the starting lineup or if the Hawks will stick with Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot on Friday.
Trae Young and John Collins will each look to continue their strong play in this matchup vs. Denver. Collins is averaging 18.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in December. Young is posting a ridiculous 30.3 points and 9.9 assists per game this month. The two stars will look to get a bit more production in the fourth quarter as clutch offense continues to be a weakness for the team.
Injuries
De’Andre Hunter (wrist), Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) and Solomon Hill (hamstring injury) remain out for the Hawks.
An @emoryhealthcare injury report for tomorrow’s game vs. Denver:
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 16, 2021
Onyeka Okongwu (right shoulder injury recovery): Probable
Bogdan Bogdanovic (right ankle sprain): Out
Solomon Hill (right hamstring tear): Out
De’Andre Hunter (right wrist tendon surgery): Out pic.twitter.com/cybRlYmMYN
Onyeka Okongwu is probable after being recalled from the G League on Thursday.
The Nuggets will be continue to be without Michael Porter Jr. (back) and Jamal Murray (ACL rehab). Austin Rivers is probable, while PJ Dozier, Markus Howard and JaMychal Green are also out.
The Line
The Hawks come in as 4.5-point home favorites over the Nuggets as of Friday morning, for those who may be interested.
Game Info
Game Date & Time: Fri. Dec. 17, 7:30 PM ET
Location: State Farm Arena
TV: BSSE, League Pass (out of market)
Radio: 92.9 The Game
Streaming: Bally Sports App, League Pass (out of market)
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