Preview: Hawks look to bounce back vs. surging Celtics

The Atlanta Hawks will look to rebound from an ugly Friday evening loss on Sunday when they will be on the road for an afternoon matchup vs. the Boston Celtics. Atlanta was drummed by the San Antonio Spurs 136-121 on their home floor on Friday. The Celtics meanwhile, beat the Denver Nuggets and MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic to extend their current winning streak to seven games.

This is a big game for both sides as the playoff race is beginning to heat up heading into the All-Star break. The Hawks (No. 10) and Celtics (No. 7) both have some work to do to avoid the play-in tournament that proceeds the NBA Playoffs. Boston has already started their ascendance, as they have the best net rating and defensive rating in the NBA over their last 15 games. After a very slow start, the Celtics have a real chance to fully turn around their season.

Atlanta has hit a bit of a lull, losing four of their last six after seeing their seven-game winning streak snapped on Jan. 31. The Hawks have possessed one of the best offenses in the NBA all season long, but continue to see vast inconsistencies on the defensive end. The returns of De’Andre Hunter and Onyeka Okongwu helped stop the bleeding momentarily, but the Hawks are still looking for permanent answers to their defensive issues as evidenced by their lousy showing vs. the Spurs on Friday night.

Injuries

John Collins (right foot sprain) is out for this one, and will miss the next three games heading into the All-Star break. Trae Young (right hip discomfort) and Delon Wright (left hip flexor) are probable for Atlanta.

Daniel Theis (trade pending) is questionable for the Celtics.

Odds

The Hawks are 7.5-point underdogs in Boston as of early Sunday morning, for those that may be interested.

Game Info

Game Date & Time: Sun. Feb. 13, 2 pm ET

Location: TD Garden

TV: ABC

Streaming: Watch ESPN, ABC app

Radio: 92.9 The Game