Kyle Korver will miss tonight’s game against the Pacers as he will be rested on the second of back-to-back games. The starting shooting guard did not travel with the team to Indianapolis but is expected to re-join them for Friday’s game against the Jazz when the Hawks resume a five-game road trip. The Hawks lost at home to the Pelicans Tuesday night and Korver played into the fourth quarter of the blowout.
The rest was planned and Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed it’s why Korver played late into Tuesday’s game.
“We will judiciously choose opportunities,” Budenholzer said. “He will play some back-to-backs. He won’t play some back-to-backs. This is one we chose to give him some rest.”
Thabo Sefolosha will start against the Pacers. Sefolosha will likely move to small forward and Kent Bazemore will move to shooting guard. Sefolosha returned Tuesday after missing three games with a mild left knee sprain.
The resting of players is a long-standing player management program with the Hawks. They will continue to do it with Korver, who at 35 years old is the team’s oldest player. That doesn’t mean he always accepts the assignment.
“He and I have had great conversations about how important the big picture is,” Budenholzer said. “I want him feeling great all year and going into the playoffs. He doesn’t love it. He usually fights me. But he’s learned, we’ve learned, how to work through our marital spats.”
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