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Preview: Hawks take on Suns in national TV showdown

Atlanta Hawks v Phoenix Suns Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

The Atlanta Hawks (24-26) will take on the Phoenix Suns (41-9) on Thursday night as they look to bounce back from a Monday night loss to the Toronto Raptors. Trae Young missed that game with a shoulder injury, and his status for Thursday night is still up in the air. Kevin Huerter led the Hawks with 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor in the loss.

The Suns enter play with the best record in the NBA and an eleven-game win streak. Chris Paul and Devin Booker make up for one of if not the best backcourt combos in the league, and they have continued to power Phoenix to victories despite absences to other players. The Suns have the second-best net rating (7.9) in the NBA, and are top-5 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

Atlanta is looking to rebound after seeing their seven-game win streak snapped on Monday. The Hawks remain in the middle of the pack in net rating, as their 27th ranked defense is still dragging them down a bit. Atlanta’s defense has been better of late following the returns of De’Andre Hunter and Onyeka Okongwu, and that was evident during the winning streak.

Young’s status is obviously a huge factor for Atlanta, as the team’s leader in both points and assists by a wide margin. He was questionable Monday and has not played since Sunday, so perhaps he will be good to go come tip on Thursday night.

Injuries

Trae Young (right shoulder contusion) is questionable for the Hawks, while De’Andre Hunter (right ankle) is probable. Lou Williams (low back spasms) is out.

Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder are probable for Phoenix. Frank Kaminsky, Cameron Payne, Abdel Nader, Dario Saric and Landry Shamet are all out on Thursday.

Odds

The Hawks are 4-point underdogs to the league-leading Suns as of Thursday afternoon, for those that may be interested. The ultimate status of Young will obviously impact the final line.

Game Info

Game Date & Time: Thu. Feb. 3, 7:30 pm ET

Location: State Farm Arena

TV: TNT

Streaming: TNT App

Radio: 92.9 The Game