Elton Brand remains in Hawks’ starting lineup
Elton Brand remained in the starting lineup as the Hawks played at the Nets on Friday. Pero Antic was available after missing Wednesday’s win over the Celtics with a sore right ankle. Antic did not dress for that game.
“It’s just a lot of little things, and we’ll see how it goes,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said of the decision to keep Brand in the starting lineup. “We are just happy to have them both available.”
Brand had a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds in the 105-97 win over the Celtics.
Nets rolling: On Dec. 21, the Nets announced that center Brook Lopez would require foot surgery and would miss the rest of the season. At the time, the Nets were 9-17 and 11th in the Eastern Conference.
How times have changed.
Since that announcement, the Nets are 34-18 (entering Friday’s game against the Hawks) and have clinched a playoff berth, currently holding the fifth seed. The Nets have the NBA’s best record since Jan. 1.
Any thoughts of the Hawks swapping first-round picks with the Nets, a consideration from the Joe Johnson trade, are long gone.
“They found a good mix of players,” Budenholzer said. “Playing Paul Pierce at (power forward) is a really unique lineup, a unique matchup. They are a very good one-on-one team, but they also move the ball and share the ball in a way that is really healthy and really effective.”
The Nets played without starting point guard Deron Williams, who sat with right patella tendinitis. Williams also missed the previous two matchups with the Hawks.
Hip-hop tribute: The Hawks will host their first annual "Hip Hop Night" during Saturday's game against the Heat. The event is sponsored by Grady Hospital.
Hip-hop stars Doug E. Fresh and Biz Markie will perform throughout the evening. The first 10,000 fans to enter the arena will receive sunglasses courtesy of Philips.
During halftime Biz Markie will perform songs from the late 1980s and early ’90s, including “Just a Friend.” Doug E. Fresh will close the evening with a postgame concert.
During the game, Grady will pay tribute to the care team that aided Catie Scott, a Hawks staff member who was treated at the hospital following a near-fatal car accident.
About the Author
Chris Vivlamore is the sports editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has served as reporter and editor at the AJC since 2003.
