When/where: 3:30 p.m. today, Philips Arena
TV: Fox Sports Southeast
Stream: Fox Sports Go
Radio: 92.9 The Game
Injuries: Hawks—DeAndre' Bembry (abdominal), Antonius Cleveland (ankle) and Malcolm Delaney (ankle) are out; Dennis Schroder (elbow) is questionable; Isaiah Taylor (ankle) is probable.
Bulls—Paul Zipser (foot) is doubtful.
What to watch for: The Hawks (20-46) and Bulls (22-43) meet for the third and final time this season. The Bulls won both previous meetings but that was before they (and, to a lesser extent, the Hawks) started playing younger players over veterans with an eye toward the draft lottery. Both teams are squarely in the crowded race to finish with the NBA's worst record and thus secure the best odds to win the draft lottery.
The Bulls drew scrutiny last week when the NBA reportedly warned the team about resting healthy players, which followed an earlier league-wide notice about tanking from commissioner Adam Silver. The Bulls responded by playing veterans Robin Lopez and Justin Hollday for the entire first quarter against the Pistons and then sat them for the rest of the game, a Bulls loss.
The Hawks haven’t been as brazen as the Bulls. They’ve twice rested veteran Kent Bazemore, finished a victory against the Suns with four starters on the bench and played some unusual lineups late in a loss at Toronto. But, for the most part, coach Mike Budenholzer has stuck with his normal starting lineup and has used normal substitution patterns during the competitive portions of games.
About the Author
