Hawks center Al Horford's bruised right shooting hand isn't getting better, but for now his plan is to wait and see if it eventually improves.
After the Hawks' victory at Milwaukee on Monday, Horford said he would have an MRI performed after X-rays were negative, but he eventually changed his mind.
“I didn’t think it was necessary,” he said Wednesday. “I just think it’s a matter of, I’ve had several injuries to it and it takes longer to heal. I was getting concerned because it wasn’t getting any better. It feels somewhat better today.”
Horford said he’s accumulated injuries to the hand over his three-plus seasons with the Hawks. The latest flare-up came after he was hit on the hand in a game against Indiana on Dec. 11. The hand has swelled after games, but Horford hasn’t missed any playing time.
Horford said the current treatment regimen for the hand is ice and electrical stimulation. The Hawks had a three-day break last week, but a return to contact in games caused the hand to swell again.
“I hope it goes away,” Horford said. “[Rest] is the key. I thought taking those couple days off would make it better, but it really didn’t. I just have to stay on it.”
Williams starts again
Hawks coach Larry Drew used his normal lineup against the Warriors on Wednesday. That meant Marvin Williams was back among the starters after playing well in reserve in recent victories against Orlando and Milwaukee.
Drew said he can get Williams more involved when he plays with the reserves.
"When he's in the starting lineup ... he can be a first option at times, he can be a fourth option at times," Drew said. "When he is in there with the reserves, he is going to be either one or two. To me, he's adapted well."
None of that has changed Williams' preference to start, which he has done for 318 of 395 career games. He said he doesn't take it personally when Drew opts for a bigger lineup and brings him off the bench.
"I’m not upset at him about anything, and I don’t think he’s upset at me," Williams said. "It’s just the choice he made, and I’ve got to live with it."
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