Preview: Hawks hit the road for key matchup vs. Hornets

The Atlanta Hawks will be back in action on Wednesday night in what will be a big matchup on the road vs. the Charlotte Hornets. The Hawks carry a three-game winning streak into play, and will look to move over the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 6 when they were 13-12 after a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Trae Young has been on absolute tear of late, scoring 93 points over his last two games, helping lead the Hawks to wins in the process. The star guard is making his case for All-NBA down the stretch of the season as Atlanta continues its efforts to climb up the standings. Young ranks No. 4 in the NBA in points per game and No. 3 in assists per game heading into play on Wednesday.

The Hornets are led by young stars LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. The tandem has been explosive all season, as Charlotte’s offense is much of why they could be a playoff team this season. Ball, who runs much of the show for the Hornets, is averaging 19.7 points, 7.3 assists and 6.8 rebounds in his second NBA season.

Charlotte is just a half game behind the Hawks in the Eastern Conference standings, and would leap them with a win on Wednesday. The Hornets are 5-5 in their last ten games, but have won their last two. Charlotte has one of the highest-paced offenses in the NBA, as they rank second in the entire NBA with 114.9 points per game. This could be a high scoring affair, as the Hawks and Hornets both rank in the top-3 in the East in points per game.

Atlanta will look to make it four straight wins as they embark on this one-game road trip before returning home Friday for a matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, who have the second-best record in the NBA entering Wednesday’s action.

The Hawks are 2-1 so far this season vs. the Hornets, as they look to win the season series vs. the division opponent. Charlotte would also be Atlanta’s matchup in the play-in round ahead of the postseason if the season ended with the standings as they are heading into play on Wednesday. Staying ahead of the Hornets as the No. 9 seed means hosting that game instead of going on the road, so this is a huge matchup to stay the least.

Injuries

The Hawks list John Collins (finger sprain, foot strain) as out for Wednesday, while Danilo Gallinari (right Achilles soreness) is probable. Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper are currently in the G League with the College Park SkyHawks.

Gordon Hayward (ankle) is listed as out for Charlotte.

Odds

The Hawks are 2-point underdogs vs. the Hornets as of Wednesday morning, for those who may be interested. The point total for this game is O/U 239.

Game Info

Game Date & Time: Wed. Mar. 16, 7 pm ET

Location: Spectrum Center

TV: BSSE, League Pass (out of market)

Streaming: Bally Sports App, League Pass (out of market)

Radio: 92.9 The Game

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