Hawks vs. Warriors: Best record in NBA on line again
Time for the rematch.
The Hawks and Warriors face off Wednesday with similar stakes on the line as when the teams met in Atlanta last month. The winner emerges with the best record in the NBA.
In one corner, the host Warriors at 53-13; In the other corner, the Hawks at 53-14.
Round 1 went to the Hawks with a 124-116 victory on Feb. 6 as they took the league’s top spot. Ring the bell for Round 2 as the best in the East and West meet for the final team in the regular season.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, it’s the first time in NBA history that teams with at least .790 winning percentages have met 65-plus games into a season.
Once again, the Hawks insist this is just another game.
“The game in Atlanta is the game it Atlanta,” Paul Millsap said. “This is a different game, different circumstances, different lineups. We still have to approach it with the same mentality but it will be a different game.”
But a Hawks sweep would certainly further the Hawks’ cause as a legitimate NBA Championship contender, right?
“It may do something for our mentality, our mindset, but it’s just two games - just like we beat Sacramento twice,” Millsap said. “We will have beaten them twice. It’s the same thing.”
The Hawks broke open a game that was tied at halftime, 52-52, with a 12-1 run in the third quarter in the first meeting.
The rematch lost some luster as both teams are without their starting All-Star shooting guards. Kyle Korver is out for the Hawks with a broken nose. Klay Thompson is out for the Warriors with a right ankle sprain. The Hawks will also be without Mike Scott (broken toe) and Thabo Sefolosha (right calf strain). Korver and Scott were two of seven Hawks to score in double-figures in the first meeting, each with 17 points. Thompson led all scorers with 29 points.
The Hawks will turn to Kent Bazemore to start in place of Korver. The added defense could help slow down the Warriors, who lead the NBA in scoring at 109.7 points per game. They lead the second-place Clippers by nearly four points per game. The Hawks are 10th in the league in scoring at 102.6 points per game. The Hawks are fourth in the league in opponent points per game at 96.5 points.
“On paper and theory it’s pretty radical,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said of replacing Korver with Bazemore. “Kent has shot the ball well and Kent is going to be in the same spots and the same spacing. … It will be different with Kent shooting. If he’s open, he’s going to let it fly. Kyle has such an impact on the game but I think Kent can have a similar impact on both ends.”
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.
