Five things we learned about the Hawks Wednesday:
1. Dwight Howard will miss his second straight game due to back tightness after being ruled inactive for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves.
2. The Hawks will assign rookie DeAndre Bembry to the NBA Development League. He will play Thursday night in Salt Lake City.
3. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the eligible candidates for the Class of 2017 on Wednesday. The lengthy list included several players, coaches or support personnel with ties to the Hawks.
They are Maurice Cheeks, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Tracy McGrady, Sidney Moncrief, Mark Price, Glenn Robinson, Toni Kukoc, Marty Blake, Joe O’Toole, Lou Hudson Joe Caldwell and Tom Van Arsdale.
The finalists will be named on Feb. 18 and the Class of 2017 will be announced on April
4. Dominique Wilkins defeated hip-hop star 2Chainz in a 3-point shooting contest Tuesday. The contest took place at Philips Arena.
“I grew up here, so I’ve been a fan of Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks for a long time,” 2Chainz said in a statement. “It’s an incredible feeling to face off against ‘Nique and give back to the city at the same time. He had a chance to warm up and I didn’t, so I’m looking forward to a rematch.”
The artist will perform at halftime and after the game against the Pistons on Dec. 30.
5. The Hawks will not practice in Atlanta Thursday, opting for an early flight to Denver and a practice in the city before Friday night's game against the Nuggets.
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