Game preview: Timberwolves to test Hawks' reeling defense

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Injuries: Hawks—DeAndre' Bembry (groin) is out.

Timberwolves—none.

What to watch for: The Hawks (14-35) meet the Timberwolves for the first time this season while seeking to end a three-game losing steak with average margin of 17 points. It will be a tough challenge for the Hawks to end that skid against the Timberwolves, who are six-point favorites in the betting line.

The Hawks had the sixth-best defensive efficiency in the NBA while posting a 7-7 record from Dec. 23 to Jan. 22. But their defensive efficiency over the past three games (117.7 points per 100 possessions) ranks 29th in the league despite facing one opponent, the Raptors, that ranks above-average offensively. During the losing streak the Hawks have allowed 15 3-pointers per game on 44.1 percent shooting (45-for-102).

The good news for the Hawks is that the Timberwolves (33-20) are the only team in the league with a worse defensive efficiency over the past three games (though one of those opponents was Golden State, the top offensive team). But Minnesota ranks third in offensive efficiency and its best wing player, Jimmy Butler, returned from a four-game injury absence on Saturday vs. Brooklyn and scored 21 points on 14 shots (12-for-14 FTs).

The Timberwolves aren't a great shooting team (13th in effective field-goal percentage) but they take care of the ball (second-best turnover percentage) and gobble up their misses at a high rate (fourth in offensive rebounding percentage). The Hawks rank third in opponent turnover percentage but last in opponent offensive rebounding percentage.

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